Warming Up to Winter!

Which people live in the toughest coldest parts of the world where temperatures often dip to -50°F (-45°C)? Eskimos! In some places likeCanada andGreenland the title Inuit (“people”) is preferred over Eskimo. The Inuit of Canada andGreenland find the term Eskimo (“eaters of raw meat”) offensive. InAlaska however Eskimo is preferred. These people live on the northwest coast of NorthAmerica the Arctic Archipelago (the north part of the Canadian mainland in the Arctic) Greenland andEastern Siberia. Their traditional clothing — from different animal skins — was always an important part of their survival. During the winter they used to wear two layers of caribou skin — the outer layer with the fur facing out and the inner layer with the fur facing in. On top of that was a hooded parka. These days the Inuit and Eskimos wear pretty much Western-style clothing although for extended outdoor activities in winter they wear their traditional protective clothing.