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EduTech Research Project Presents John Tyman's INUIT ~ People of the Arctic Unit V: COMMUNITY, INSTITUTIONS AND VALUES Back to Main Navigation Page |
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The community also has a Social Committee, and the highlight of their year is the Winter Games which run for a week and a half over Christmas and New Year. |
(pass the ball in this case). Everyone is involved, both young and old. . |
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And almost everyone wins some money. . . |
Team games are a new thing: they are not part of Inuit tradition (for survival here is promoted by co-operation, not competition, in the face of a hostile environment). The emphasis is still on fun, not on competition, with teams of mixed ages and abilities.. |
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The drum dance is keenly contested, being a traditional art form. . |
For the social dancing "competition", however, partners are drawn out of a hat, which as in the team games brings together a mixture of ages and abilities.. |
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And, inevitably in a climate where strength is called on for survival, there are tests of strength... |
Including special wrestling competitions which in the old days could be held in the small space of a winter snow house.. |
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On Christmas night there was a communal feast. Everyone brought something (all of it raw meat of course!). The larger pieces were cut up by the MC. . . |
The food was simply piled up on the floor of the school gymnasium (on a plastic sheet). The people were then invited to select from the smorgasbord of meats available -- fresh, frozen and dried fish; fresh, frozen and dried caribou; plus fresh and frozen seal meat; with a 44 gallon drum of seal oil in which to dip the dried meats. There was enough for everyone.. |
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The people then withdrew to the perimeter of the gym to banquet in family groups. |
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The traditional shamanism here was effectively suppressed by the early missionaries, and many people now take their new faith seriously. |
From time to time evangelists from outside hold rallies in Taloyoak.. . |
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But the mainline churches (one Anglican and the other Roman Catholic) occupy an important place in the day to day life of the community. . |
The layout of the church building is decidedly conventional, but the altar is covered with seal skin and the wall hanging behind it is of an Arctic scene, not one from Europe or the Middle East.. |
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The Anglican priest came from Wales originally, but his wife, who interprets for him during sermons, is an Inuk from Coral Harbour. |
His lay preacher is a highly skilled hunter (also an accomplished carver and the mayor of the hamlet!) and he also taught himself to play the organ for church services.. |
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They lead the congregation in worship on Sunday, but there are less formal services in the middle of the week -- and in hunting camps on the land on Sundays in summer. |
The church was packed out at Christmas, when almost everyone was back home in town. . |
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In common with many remote parishes in other parts of the world, it was "twinned" with a congregation in Southern Canada -- in Southern BC -- which had prepared the wall hanging as a gift. |
Inevitably, too, there was a woman's group that met for Bible study on Tuesday nights.. . |
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And then, after supper, the women worked on handicrafts for sale to raise money for "overseas missions". |
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Text, photos and recordings
by John Tyman
Intended for Educational Use
Only.
Copyright Pitt Rivers Museum,
Oxford University, 2010.
Contact Dr.
John Tyman for more information regarding licensing.
Photo processing, Web page layout,
and formatting by
William
Hillman | www.hillmanweb.com
Assistant Professor ~ Faculty
of Education ~ Brandon University ~ Brandon, Manitoba ~ Canada