Wednesday, August 2, 2006

Inuit



As we tie up we rig our lines and fenders against the very industrial pier to accommodate the 20 foot tidal swing. We eagerly head out to explore Greenland's "largest" city. The roads do not go further the five miles fro the center of town. It takes us about 30 minutes to go from one side of town to the other. In the winter Dog Sleds are the preferred mode of transportation. Now in the Summer months the dogs are basically tied to rocks and fed dried cod for the summer months. It's a sad sight for a dog lover like my self. But I am told that these are "working: dogs are not pets and that is different.
Their are two groups the indigenous Inuit Indians and the Dutch professionals that are their working in various businesses. The Inuit (Eskimo like) have a very weathered look to them. These are a people that live off the land. They need very little to get by. Their primary source of income is from hunting and fishing. They hunt seals from their boats with rifles. A seals head pops up and you here a rifle shot. The seals skins are sold and the meat is eaten. http://www.wbur.org/special/dispatches/greenland/inuit/

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