Inuit hunting traditions are rich in perceptions, practices and stories relating to animals and human beings. The authors examine key figures such as the raven, an animal that has a central place in Inuit culture as a creator and a trickster, and qupirruit, a category consisting of insects and other small life forms. After these non-social and inedible animals, they discuss the dog, the companion of the hunter, and the fellow hunter, the bear, considered to resemble a human being. A discussion of the renewal of whale hunting accompanies the chapters about animals considered `prey par excellence': the caribou, the seals and the whale, symbol of the whole. By giving precedence to Inuit categories such as `inua' (owner) and `tarniq' (shade) over European concepts such as `spirit `and `soul', the book compares and contrasts human beings and animals to provide a better understanding of human-animal relationships in a hunting society.

Book Information
ISBN 9781785333378
Author Frederic Laugrand
Format Paperback
Page Count 418
Imprint Berghahn Books
Publisher Berghahn Books
Weight(grams) 562g