The term culture of the Inuit, therefore, refers primarily to these areas; however, parallels to other Eskimo groups can also be drawn. The word " Eskimo " has been used to encompass the Inuit and Yupik, and other indigenous Alaskan and Siberian peoples, [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] but this usage is in decline. With the exception of NunatuKavut these areas are sometimes known as Inuit Nunangat.
The traditional lifestyle of the Inuit is adapted to extreme climatic conditions; their essential skills for survival are hunting and trapping , as well as the construction of fur clothing for survival. Agriculture was never possible in the millions of square kilometres of tundra and icy coasts from Siberia to Northern America including Greenland.
Therefore, hunting became the core of the culture and cultural history of the Inuit. They used harpoons and bows and arrows to take down animals of all sizes. Thus, the everyday life in modern Inuit settlements, established only some decades ago, still reflects the 5,year-long history of a hunting culture which allowed the Inuit and their ancestors to populate the Arctic. Europeans in North America used to refer to the Inuit as Eskimos, but the people consider that term pejorative.
The primary reason some people consider Eskimo derogatory is the questionable but widespread perception [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] that in Algonquian languages it means "eaters of raw meat. The word Inuit is the autonym , the name which the people use for themselves and it means "the people. In the charter and by-laws of ICC were adopted. The Conference agreed to replace the term Eskimo with the term Inuit. This has not however met with widespread acceptance by some groups, most pre-eminently the Yupik.
The principal goals of the ICC are to strengthen unity among Inuit of the circumpolar region; to promote Inuit rights and interests on an international level; to develop and encourage long-term policies that safeguard the Arctic environment; and to seek full and active partnership in the political, economic, and social development of circumpolar regions.
