Customer Reviews

Uqalurait: An Oral History of Nunavut

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This marvelous work is unique in studies of Inuit history and culture in that Inuit elders get to speak for themselves rather than having their experiences reported through the interpretive lens of anthropologists, explorers, and other visitors. The editors give brief, helpful explanations for each subtopic, but they defer to elders who remember life on the land in beautiful, moving, and often humorous ways. Their recollections derive from several oral-history projects conducted in different regions of Nunavut and are divided into chapters highlighting the life cycle, the seasonal round for people living in different regions, and aspects of daily life such as hunting, tool-making and use, clothing, celebrations, and beliefs. Whether you're new to Arctic studies or not, this book is absolutely indispensable.

Uqalurait is a collection of quotations from the Inuit elders themselves. This book is excellent for research, especially anthropology. It helps you get the "feel" of Inuit culture as well as learn about their worldview. It is the next best thing to talking to the Inuit themselves. I used it when I wrote a paper about Inuit religion, but it can be used for any topic from family structure, hunting practices, leadership in the community, music and dance, astronomy, cosmology, shamanism, death, architecture, etc. So be sure to add this to your library.

I used this book for a college history class. It was very helpful in understanding the inuit culture. It gave lots of details and I would defintatly recommend this book!