Inuit Social Change Analysis
Roberts, Lance W. 1990. Becoming Modern: Some Reflections on Inuit Social Change. In As Long as the Sun Shines and the Water Flows: A Reader in Canadian Native Studies, Ian Getty and Antoine Lussier, 299-314. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.
For many people, the Inuit are known as “a simple hunting and gathering society” (p.49). In reality, the Inuit people of today are considered to be much more modern and have many similarities to other Canadians. In order to fully understand how this came about and analyze the changes the Inuit underwent, the term “sociocultural” must be understood. This concept was important because it emphasizes that both societal and cultural factors have had a huge impact on changes in Inuit society …show more content…
“The common trend in both instances was toward a system of Inuit dependence on a foreign economic system (the fur trade) and incorporation of western morals” (the missionaries) (p.51). Many of Christian missionaries introduced their value system into the traditional spiritual system of the Inuit which emphasized the point that only western religion could help make them better hunters, and more honest human beings in the long run. Between the world wars, another institution the Royal Canadian Mounted Police exerted its influence on the Inuit. As the trading companies continued to expand throughout the North, the government felt the need to send policemen to the Arctic to monitor what went on in the region. The RCMP were responsible for a wide variety of tasks ranging from the “registration of births, deaths and marriages through collecting royalties on exporting furs and issuing hunting licenses” and by doing so pushed these values onto the Inuit (p.51). By the end of World War II, the Inuit …show more content…
“Cultural replacement” was emphasized which included non-Inuit educators who taught exclusively in English, with a curriculum centered on Canadian values. This had detrimental effects on Inuit youth as it exposed them to “a set of values, attitudes and behaviors that were very different from more traditional ones held by their parents.” (p.53). The author emphasizes that when the educational and demographical effects are combined, “dissatisfaction, discouragement and frustration” occurs, making it very difficult for the area to develop
For many people, the Inuit are known as “a simple hunting and gathering society” (p.49). In reality, the Inuit people of today are considered to be much more modern and have many similarities to other Canadians. In order to fully understand how this came about and analyze the changes the Inuit underwent, the term “sociocultural” must be understood. This concept was important because it emphasizes that both societal and cultural factors have had a huge impact on changes in Inuit society …show more content…
“The common trend in both instances was toward a system of Inuit dependence on a foreign economic system (the fur trade) and incorporation of western morals” (the missionaries) (p.51). Many of Christian missionaries introduced their value system into the traditional spiritual system of the Inuit which emphasized the point that only western religion could help make them better hunters, and more honest human beings in the long run. Between the world wars, another institution the Royal Canadian Mounted Police exerted its influence on the Inuit. As the trading companies continued to expand throughout the North, the government felt the need to send policemen to the Arctic to monitor what went on in the region. The RCMP were responsible for a wide variety of tasks ranging from the “registration of births, deaths and marriages through collecting royalties on exporting furs and issuing hunting licenses” and by doing so pushed these values onto the Inuit (p.51). By the end of World War II, the Inuit …show more content…
“Cultural replacement” was emphasized which included non-Inuit educators who taught exclusively in English, with a curriculum centered on Canadian values. This had detrimental effects on Inuit youth as it exposed them to “a set of values, attitudes and behaviors that were very different from more traditional ones held by their parents.” (p.53). The author emphasizes that when the educational and demographical effects are combined, “dissatisfaction, discouragement and frustration” occurs, making it very difficult for the area to develop