What type of homes did the Inuit tribe live in?
igloo, also spelled iglu, also called aputiak, temporary winter home or hunting-ground dwelling of Canadian and Greenland Inuit (Eskimos).
What was the Inuits housing like?
An igloo is a dome-shaped dwelling made of hard snow known as pukaangajuq. Historically, it was used by Inuit families and traveling hunters during the winter season. (In warmer weather, travelling Inuit used tents known as tupiq.) Commonly, igloos were about 3 to 3.5 m high and 3.5 to 4.5 m in diameter.
Do Inuit still live in igloos?
Many people believe incorrectly that Inuit live only in igloos. This myth couldn’t be farther from the truth — Inuit use igloos almost exclusively as hunting camps. In fact, although most Inuit live in regular old houses now, igloos are still used for the occasional hunting trip.
What is an Inuit tent called?
Historically, Inuit used a simple tent, known as a tupiq (the plural form is tupiit), while travelling or hunting during the summer months.
Do Inuit live in teepees?
In winter, the Inuit lived in igluit when the snow was good enough to build them. Then in the spring when the iglu melted, they moved back into the tupiq. The tupiq was important traditionally, but is rarely used in modern times. Today most Inuit use canvas tents called tupikhaq.
Did Inuit live in igloos?
The people who live here are called the Inuit. In the past they lived in igloos in the winter. Now they use igloos only for temporary shelters while out hunting. The freezing temperatures and the shorter days throughout the winter kept the people inside a good portion of the time.
How warm does an igloo get?
Snow is used because the air pockets trapped in it make it an insulator. On the outside, temperatures may be as low as −45 °C (−49 °F), but on the inside, the temperature may range from −7 to 16 °C (19 to 61 °F) when warmed by body heat alone.
What are Inuit tents called?
To survive in these extreme conditions, Eskimo people invented a special kind of dwelling that brilliantly met these requirements—the itchalik, or caribou skin tent.
How did Inuit stay warm?
So, igloos were warm because snow is full of air and once the air inside the igloo is warmed up by fire, it does not easily transfer to the outside. The same principle works with clothing. Their clothing was made to fit loosely so that body heat would stay inside, and of animal skin with hair which captured air.
How did the Inuit build their homes?
An igloo is constructed of large blocks of snow that are cut out in different sizes with a special snow knife. The blocks are placed on top of each other in a spiral and form an effective dome-shaped shelter. The igloo was only used in the very north of Greenland, where the sea was frozen in winter.
What did Inuit eat?
These traditional Inuit foods include arctic char, seal, polar bear and caribou — often consumed raw, frozen or dried. The foods, which are native to the region, are packed with the vitamins and nutrients people need to stay nourished in the harsh winter conditions.
What did Inuit wear?
Traditional Inuit clothing consisted of a parka, pants and mittens made from caribou or sealskin (worn in one or two layers according to the season), and up to four layers of footwear. Each garment was tailored to fit the individual.
How did Inuit cook?
Traditional tools such as the ulu (a type of knife) are used in these preparation processes. The Inuit use every part of the animal, if not for food than for other functions, such as clothing (animal hides and furs), heating (seal oil) and the making of various traditional tools (bones and sinew).