 And Now We Give You... Writing The Inuit culture has an oral tradition that is probably as old as western civilization, and the Inuktitut language has handed down their Arctic history and culture from generation to generation, virtually intact. Inuktitut is unique to the Inuit culture. Although there are some differences in the way it is spoken from one region to the next, it is possible for individuals to understand each other all the way from the east coast of Russia to Greenland. The introduction of written language to the Inuit was motivated by religion. In the mid 1800s, a missionary named James Evans created a syllabic script system for the Ojibwe and Cree based in part on Pitman shorthand. While it is not certain how Inuit adapted Evans' syllabary, the most accurate account is that it was introduced to them by another missionary, Edmund Peck, in the late 1800s. Inuktitut syllabary is only used in Canada, especially in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, the population of which is 85% Inuit.
Click pictures for more information and credits. Library: Inuit, Eurasia, Arctic Links: Inuit, Arctic A Brief History of Inuktitut Writing Culture Hello in 40 Languages! Maps & Weather Reports: Nunavut The BIG Map of the Whole Arctic |
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DICTIONARY: Just "double-click" any unlinked word on this page for the definition from Merriam-Webster's Student Electronic Dictionary at Word Central. |
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ARCTIC LIBRARY & GLOSSARY: Check this section for an index of the rest of the things you really need to know about the Arctic. |
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ARCTIC MAPS & WEATHER REPORTS: Maps of the Northwest Passage, explorers' routes, iceberg sources, Nunavut, the Arctic by treeline, temperature... |
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ARCTIC LINKS: Even more information! Links to sites related to the Arctic and "Iceberg: the Story of the Throps and the Squallhoots". |
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GUIDE TO ARCTIC SUNRISE & SUNSET: How much sunlight or darkness is there in the Arctic on each day of the year? |
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