The Inuit people are the original people who inhabited Siberia, Greenland, Northern Canada, Labrador and regions above the tree line in Alaska. Though European and Christian missionary influence has changed the culture and molded many original Inuit customs to mimic Christian ones, there are still remnants of the Inuit culture in these parts of the world.
Since these arctic regions can be so brutal, the Inuit culture was centered on survival. Men hunted most of the year while women prepared meals and took care of the homes and children and thus gift giving and celebrations were small components of the culture. Nonetheless, gift giving was a part of the culture since it's one of the most ancient and reliable ways to strengthen social bonds and show appreciation.
Animism was the religious view of the Inuit people. They believed that everything and everyone had a spirit and that these spirits hung around and could influence the outcomes of events. These religious beliefs paired with the fact that these humans could not survive without the hunting of whales formed all of the Inuit celebrations and gift giving occasions.
Gift Wrap and Presentation: Gifts were not traditionally wrapped or concealed in anyway. They were simply given.
Go to Gifts: Traditionally gifts of food, primarily whale meat because it comprised 70% of the Inuit peoples diet, were given.
Gift Giving Occasions: Gift giving occasions revolved around hunting season and successful hunts.
* Weddings: Traditionally the Inuit people had no formal marriage ceremony. The couple would just begin living together and they also were not typically in a “contractual relationship.” So, no wedding gifts.
However, modernity has morphed the Inuit culture and now Christian weddings are quite common. The ceremony and gifts mimic European tradition so common wedding gifts include things for the couple's home and money.
*Naluqatak: A hunting celebration that takes place in June to honor the spirits of hunted whales. Captains and crews who have successful whale hunts gift whale meat to the community. The celebration consists of a whole day of feasting, singing, dancing and a blanket toss in which people are bounced on a walrus skin trampoline.
*Christmas: Christmas was not traditionally celebrated in these Artic regions but is now very popular among the Inuit peoples. Since the Arctic Tundra doesn't produce evergreen trees, they have to be imported from Europe. If a family cannot afford to import a Christmas tree, they will often decorate a piece of driftwood.
*Messenger Feast: This tradition is more of a thing of the past though some Inuit people are trying to bring it back in a cultural preservation effort. Two “messengers” would travel to neighboring villages and invite them to a big feast in their own village. This would occur because the host village had a successful whale hunting season and would gift members from nearby villages a large feast. Traditionally small gifts (jewelry, tools or food) would also be exchanged between villages.
