Overview
Kalaallit are an ethnographic group, being the largest such group in Greenland, and are concentrated in the west. It is also a contemporary term in the Greenlandic language for the Greenlandic Inuit of Kalaallit Nunaat (Kalaallisut for Greenland). The Kalaallit (singular: ) are Inuit and form part of the circumpolar peoples of the Arctic. The language spoken by Inuit in Greenland is known as Kalaallisut, and in English as Greenlandic.
Name
Probably adapted from the name Skræling, Kalaallit historically referred specifically to Western Greenlanders. On the other hand, Northern and Eastern Greenlanders call themselves Inughuit and Tunumiit, respectively. About 80% to 88% of Greenland's population, or approximately 44,000 to 50,000 people identify as being Inuit.
History
Kalaallit are descended from the Thule people but probably not from their predecessors in Greenland, the Dorset culture.
Regions
As 84% of Greenland's landmass is covered by the Greenland ice sheet, Kalaallit live in three regions: Polar, Eastern, and Western. In the 1850s some Canadian Inuit migrated to Greenland and joined the Polar Inuit communities. The Eastern Inuit, or Tunumiit, live in the area with the mildest climate, a territory called Ammassalik. Hunters can hunt marine mammals from kayaks throughout the year.
Art
The Kalaallit have a strong artistic tradition based on sewing animal skins and making masks. They are also known for an art form of figures called tupilaq, or "evil spirit object". Traditional art-making practices thrive in the Ammassalik.
See also
*List of Greenlandic Inuit *Demographics of Greenland *History of Greenland
References
* Hessel, Ingo. Arctic Spirit. Vancouver: Douglas and McIntyre, 2006
External links
*Kalaallit historical art collections, National Museum of the American Indian *Kalaallit archaeology art collections, National Museum of the American Indian