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The Inuit are indigenous peoples with similar cultures living primarily on the Arctic coasts of Siberia, Alaska, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, Labrador, and Greenland. Until the last few decades, the culture in this range was remarkably homogeneous, notably in the reliance on fish, marine mammals and land animals for food, heat, light, clothing, tools, and shelter. Their language, sometimes called Inuktitut, is grouped under Inuit language or Eskimo-Aleut languages.

Canadian Inuit live primarily in the territory of Nunavut, Nunavik in northern Quebec, and in the Nunatsiavut settlement region in Labrador. The Inuvialuit live mostly in the Mackenzie River delta, on Banks Island and part of Victoria Island in the Northwest Territories. Alaskan Inupiaq live on the North Slope, while the Yupik live in western Alaska and a part of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in Russia.

The Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC), founded in 1977, defines its constituency to include Canada’s Inuit and Inuvialuit, Greenland’s Kalaallit people, Alaska’s Inupiaq and Yupik people, and Russia’s Yupik. The Yupik are not Inuit in the sense of being descended from the Thule and prefer to be called Yupik or Eskimo. The ICC represents approximately 160,000 Inuit.

Seal have long been key to Inuit survival, providing virtually all the necessities of life: food, warmth, light, and shelter. Seal hide, both waterproof and warm, was the preferred material for clothing and boots. The oil was fuel for lamps. The meat was high in nutrients, energy, and flavour. Seals were highly respected for these reasons, appreciated and shared — the traditions of the seal hunt and of the arts, crafts, and necessities that resulted from it are cultural and community cornerstones.

The commercial value of seal was first realized in the north in the late 1800s, when European whaling vessels first arrived and, soon after, Hudson’s Bay Company began trading with Inuit. From then on, the animals were not only for subsistence, but also a source of revenue.

Today’s hunt is family-centred and subsistence first. After a family has taken the food it needs, and the pelts required for art and craftwork, the rest may be sold. It is estimated the sale of seal products contributes about $1 million to Nunavut’s economy annually.

Up to 70% of Inuit households are considered food insecure. Groceries can be prohibitively expensive in the north, and traditional food sources and hunting methods are eroding.

Seal and other country foods can go a long way in ensuring a supply of nutrient-rich food. Many northern communities have set up community freezers or other food sharing structures to allow those who hunt to help provide for those who cannot. This, too, is an extension of Inuit traditions of community cooperation—in other words, traditional food access offers social and cultural benefits, as well as nutritional ones.

In Canada’s north, where store-bought meat is expensive, a single ringed seal can provide the equivalent of $200 or more worth of meat to a family—and a much higher level of nutrition.