The
Tundra, a very cold flat land situated at the
Artic region of North America, is covered with
snow all year round. In the olden days, the
Eskimos who lived there led a nomadic life. They
moved from place to place in search of food for
their families.
They
lived in igloos which were dome-shaped houses
built of snow and ice-blocks. The main food was
the meat of animals which they killed or trapped
around their land.
The Eskimos
practiced and organized family
system. It was the father's work to do hunting
and fishing. he also had to make boats, tools,
sledges and weapons out of animal skins, bones,
ivory and stones. he was also responsible for
providing the transportation system of the
family.
The
mother's duty was to skin and cut up the animals
and prepare the meat. she also had to cook the
meals and make all her family's clothes from the
skin. Sometimes she helped to collect food by
catching small fish or by gathering birds' eggs.
When
the children reached the age of nine or ten,
they would start learning the skills they
needed. The girls would watch and learn from
their mothers how to cook and sew. The boys
would follow their fathers to learn all the
skills about hunting and fishing.
The
grandparents helped to take care of the
children. They told them stories and taught them
about the Eskimo way of life.
Today
most of the Eskimos lead a modern way of life.
They live in wooden houses in the village. Their
houses have all the facilities of modern living.
they buy their food, clothes and weapon from the
store owned by the Europeans. Their children
attend the village school. Nowadays the Eskimos
move from place to place on snow-mobiles, their
most common form of transport. |