Russia is |
Peoples of Russia
Eskimo
The Eskimo are a group of native peoples that constitute the native population of the territory from Greenland (Canada) to Alaska (USA) and Chukotka (Russia). Their self-designation is Yupigyit (in Siberia), Inuit (in Canada). The word “Eskimo”, taken from the language of the Abenaki Native American tribe and meaning “raw eater”, little by little also became a self-designation of the Eskimo. The Chukchi call them Ankalyn – coast dwellers.
Language
The Russian Eskimo people speak the Eskimo (Yuit) language of the Yupik group of the Eskimo branch of the Eskaleut language family. Inside the Yuit there are two dialect subgroups: Navukagmit (the Naukans, living on the territory from the Inchoun village to the Lavrentiya village) and Ungazigmit (the Chaplins who settled from the Senyavin Strait to the Provideniya Bay and in the Uelkal village). The Eskimo of the Sireniki village spoke the Sirenigmit language which constituted an independent group of the Eskimo branch. Currently the Sirenigmit has completely disappeared under the influence of the Chaplin dialect.
Dispersion
The Eskimo people live together or in close vicinity with the Chukchi on the Wrangel Island and in several settlements on the eastern shore of Chukotka. In 2000, by the decree of the Government they were given the status of native small-numbered people.
Society
By the 19th century, the kinship and tribe organizations had practically disintegrated. There were canoe communities, which included the family of the owner of the canoe and the families of its rowers. Members of one community usually lived in one semi-dugout or in neighboring yarangas.
Traditional occupations
The main occupation of the Eskimo was hunting sea animals (walrus, seal, whale) with a harpoon. They are believed to be the creators of the traditional whale hunting. They hunted seals on the beach, waiting for them near ice holes. To hunt whales, they came out into the sea on kayaks and many-oared canoes. Since the 19th century, hunting foxes and sables for fur became widespread. They equipped their harpoons with finely crafted bone stabilizers. A well-developed craft of theirs is walrus bone carving. Barter trade with the Chukchi, from whom they received reindeer skins, was very important.
Dwellings
The most ancient dwelling of the Eskimo and Aleuts – valkaran, nyn’lyu – is a large semi-dugout, most often for several families, based on a frame made from whale bones, sometimes a whole skeleton. The Eskimo people also lived in igloo. The igloo were built from snow blocks. Inside, the igloo floor (and sometimes also walls) was covered with sea animal skins. To heat the dwelling and to light it additionally, oil lamp bowls were used. Due to heating, inner surfaces of walls melted but did not thaw, since snow easily transferred the excess of heat outside of the hut. This is why a temperature comfortable for living could be sustained inside the igloo. Besides, the snow hut soaked up excess moisture from inside, so it was sufficiently dry inside the igloo. However, after learning from the Chukchi to build yarangas (myn’tyg’ak’) from reindeer skins in the 17th century, the Eskimo little by little abandoned their traditional dwellings. Currently you can only find the ruins of the valkarans, and the igloos are only built for tourists and extreme travelers.
Food
The Eskimo diet mostly consists of meat and fish, predominantly raw ones, as well as a small amount of herbs, berries and seaweeds. Cooking and eating food is accompanied by various rites.
