1. Meaning of Eskimo: The literal meaning of Eskimo is meat eater and inhabitant of snowy region.
2. Physical Structure: Eskimos tribe is related to Mangol race. The face of Eskimos is wide and flat. Colour of skin is yellowish – brown, hair clumsy and black, height-medium, nose-flat, eyes deep, chocolate colour and slanting. Their body is strong and muscular.
3. Behaviour: There behaviour is simple. They maintain their stability, seriousness and intelligence.
4. Habitat areas: Eskimos are limited to the Arctic and Tundra regions from the very beginning. In this region, their extension is from Alaska to Bering Strait. They live in Alaska, Canada and Greenland and in the region of North Siberia. These are the inhabitants of unfavourable climatic regions.
Social Condition:
1. Regional Name: Eskimos are known by different names in different areas. In Canada and Greenland, they are known as Eskimo, in Scandinavia as Laps, and in North Siberia as Samoyeds, Yakut, Chakchi and Tung.
2. Food system: Eskimos are the eaters of raw meat. They eat fishes, whales, polar bear, sea-lion, hare, wolf and walrus.
3. Clothes: Eskimos wear clothes made from caribov skin. Samoor of the polar bear is also used to make clothes. Women and men wear similar kind of clothes. Clothes are made by’women. They wear Timiyak – a jersey – type cloth with arms and the Timiyak is called Anohak and their shoes are called Karmik or Muklooks.
4. Residence or House: Their domed house is known as Igloo and it is made of snow. Houses built from bones are known as Karmak.
5. Social and Cultural Structure: These people live in small groups. They lead a vagabond life. Their society is patriarchal and they give priority to polygyny. They speak Aleut language and are superstitious.
Economic Activities:
1. Hunting: Hunting is the main livelihood of Eskinos. They hunt animals in different ways in winter and summer. They hunt seal mainly. Maypak and Iturpak are the methods of hunting during winter. During the summer season, they use bows and arrows to hunt hare, wolf, duck, birds, etc.
2. Tools and Equipments: Eskimos use various types of tools and equipments. Spear used by them is called Harpoon, boat made of leather is called Kayak/Qayaq, bigger boat is called Umiyak and the cart without wheels which is used for hunting is called Sledge.
Present time condition of Eskimos: After 1960, this tribe outer people. Now they use gun for hunting. They use moter based boat in place of Kayak/Qayaq and snow scooter in place of sledge. Their lifestyle has transformed due to facilities provided by American government.
