 BishopSofie Petersen, first Inuk Lutheran bishop | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 57,777 (2023 est.)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Greenland | |
| Languages | |
| Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) andDanish[1][2] | |
| Religion | |
| Inuit religion, Evangelical Lutheranism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Greenlandic Inuit,Inuit |
Kalaallit are aGreenlandic Inuit ethnic group, being the largest group in Greenland, concentrated in the west. It is also a contemporary term in theGreenlandic language for theIndigenous ofGreenland (Greenlandic:Kalaallit Nunaat).[3] The Kalaallit (singular:Kalaaleq[4]) are a part of the ArcticInuit. The language spoken by Inuit in Greenland is known asKalaallisut, known in English as Greenlandic.
Probably adapted from the nameSkræling,[5]Kalaallit historically referred specifically to Western Greenlanders. On the other hand, Northern and Eastern Greenlanders call themselvesInughuit andTunumiit, respectively. About 80% to 88% of Greenland's population, or approximately 44,000 to 50,000 people identify as being Inuit.[6][7]
Kalaallit are descended from theThule people but probably not from their predecessors in Greenland, theDorset culture.[8]
As 84% of Greenland's landmass is covered by theGreenland ice sheet, Kalaallit live in three regions: Polar, Eastern, and Western. In the 1850s some CanadianInuit migrated to Greenland and joined the Polar Inuit communities.[9]
The Eastern Inuit, orTunumiit, live in the area with the mildest climate, a territory calledAmmassalik. Hunters can hunt marine mammals fromkayaks throughout the year.[9]
TheNortheast Greenland Inuit are now extinct.Douglas Clavering (1794–1827) met a group of twelve Inuit, including men, women and children, inClavering Island in August 1823. There are many remains of former Inuit settlements in different locations of the now desolate area, but the population died out before mid-19th century.[10]
The Kalaallit have a strong artistic tradition based on sewing animal skins and making masks. They are also known for an art form of figures calledtupilaq, or "evil spirit object." Traditional art-making practices thrive in theAmmassalik.[6]Sperm whale ivory remains a valued medium for carving.[11]
Greenlandickalaallit ("Greenlanders," probably from medieval Scandinavianskrællingar, "pagans, savages")
