Throughout their long history, the Alaskan Inuit (also known as the Eskimo) have traditionally been both fishers and hunters. Even today in some areas the Inuit people still hunt whales, caribou, seal, polar bear, and muskoxen. In addition to these staples, meals also include moose, a variety of fish and fowl, mountain sheep, hares, squirrels, and foxes, as well as plant foods such as wild herbs, roots, berries, and seaweed.
According to Native Language.org, one of the most popular foods the Inuit hunt are seals, especially, the ring seal. Hunters stand over the seal holes waiting for the seals to come up to breathe and then the hunter poised with harpoons, even today, kill the seal for food. In the summer when the ice melts hunters use kayaks covered with seal or caribou skin to hunt. In order to make it last, meat is dried or kept frozen in ice cellars.
The diet of the Inuit consists almost exclusively of protein and contains about 75 percent fat for a daily meal. Since the Inuit are good hunters, they use many hunting techniques, even today, to find food. This is particularly true of those who still live in remote villages. However, with modern technology and the world having infringed on their land, grocery stores, and processed food is beginning to take hold, and perhaps, ruin this cultures traditional ways.
Whenever the Inuit hunts, whether it be for seal or caribou, he also uses the fur, and in the case of the caribou, the antlers are used for art, and in earlier times to make tools.
Recipe: While there are many Inuit food recipes Caribou is a staple but substituting beef or venison is also acceptable.
Caribou Chili
2 lbs. ground caribou
1 medium onion
4 celery
1 green pepper
2 can kidney beans
1 big can tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp chili powder
2 leaves cloves
Brown the ground caribou, drain the oil and add in the onion and pepper. Fry for about 15 minutes then add in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, tomato paste, leave cloves, and simmer for about 20 minutes on medium heat.