Inuit men, women, and children wore special clothing to keep them warm. Shirts were made from bird skins. Pants and coats were made from animal fur. They wore lightweight parkas over their clothing. The parkas were waterproof to keep their clothing dry. The Inuit also wore mittens and boots, called kamiks. Even the dogs wore skin shoes to keep their paws dry and warm.
The Inuit were not able to grow crops. The weather was too cold. The Inuit hunted and fished for food. Inuit men used their harpoons and kayaks to hunt seal, walrus, whale, and fish. Sometimes they cut a hole in the ice and waited for fish to bite. On land they hunted polar bear and caribou.
The Inuit lived in snow houses called igluviaks. They were built out of blocks of hard snow. In the spring, the igluviaks melted. Then the Inuit moved to where the caribou lived. They built tents from wooden poles and animals skins. When the long winter returned, the Inuit made snow houses again.
Inuit children, parents, and other relatives lived in one shelter. The Inuit spent much of their time indoors. The often told stories, sand songs, carved soapstone, and played string games. Boys learned how to build snow houses and hunt. Girls learned how to make clothing and set traps. Both boys and girls learned how to drive a sled and care for dogs.