Inuit Social Change Analysis

Roberts, Lance W. 1990. Becoming Modern: Some Reflections on Inuit Social Change. In As Long as the Sun Shines and the Water Flows: A Reader in Canadian Native Studies, Ian Getty and Antoine Lussier, 299-314. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.

For many people, the Inuit are known as “a simple hunting and gathering society” (p.49). In reality, the Inuit people of today are considered to be much more modern and have many similarities to other Canadians. In order to fully understand how this came about and analyze the changes the Inuit underwent, the term “sociocultural” must be understood. This concept was important because it emphasizes that both societal and cultural factors have had a huge impact on changes in Inuit society
over time. Throughout the article, Roberts attempts to describe the process of modernization, or in other words, the process that transformed the Inuit’s simple or “primitive” society into a much more complex or “modern” one. In the last two centuries, the world has seen dramatic changes in global societies due to the expansion of the industrial revolution, where: new technologies were used to control and exploit the environment; advanced technologies were developed for the production and distribution of goods and services; and the division of labour (which resulted in) new occupations and specialized social structures emerged to replace the traditional ways of conducting social affairs (p.50). Just like the rest of Canada, the Inuit were willing to modernize as they opened up and accepted the industrial revolution. This was necessary for their survival, but they were more than willing to change their traditional arrangements to achieve this. Throughout the nineteenth century and early 20th centuries, white whalers, traders, missionaries, and policemen had a great influence on Inuit society. The whalers were the first “westerners” with whom the Inuit had initial contact, and they affected the economic life of the Inuit in several ways. During this time, the bartering occurred between the two groups and an economic system based on trade introduced the Inuit to products which included “ammunition, rifles, and other trade goods” which increased the interest of the Inuit on the ways of the whalers but also a dependence on these goods. Following the decline of the whaling industry in the early 1900’s, another economic system based on the fur trade began. Within twenty years the Hudson Bay Company had established trading posts throughout the North, and they encouraged the Inuit to hunt and trap animals whose pelts had value in the “southern market” rather than as a food source. During this time, the fur trade provided the Inuit with many benefits, such as raising incomes and useful goods such as steel traps and rifles. However, these gains were temporary as Inuit traditions, independence and self-sufficiency were lost when the fur trade eventually collapsed. Like the fur trade, the missionaries also had a major influence on Inuit society during this time period.
“The common trend in both instances was toward a system of Inuit dependence on a foreign economic system (the fur trade) and incorporation of western morals” (the missionaries) (p.51). Many of Christian missionaries introduced their value system into the traditional spiritual system of the Inuit which emphasized the point that only western religion could help make them better hunters, and more honest human beings in the long run. Between the world wars, another institution the Royal Canadian Mounted Police exerted its influence on the Inuit. As the trading companies continued to expand throughout the North, the government felt the need to send policemen to the Arctic to monitor what went on in the region. The RCMP were responsible for a wide variety of tasks ranging from the “registration of births, deaths and marriages through collecting royalties on exporting furs and issuing hunting licenses” and by doing so pushed these values onto the Inuit (p.51). By the end of World War II, the Inuit
were: dependent on a fur trade operated by and for white interests, which were legitimized and enforced through foreign religious and social control systems. The collapse of the fur markets caused a shared economic and social crisis, and it was into such a situation that the federal government began active intervention in the Arctic (p.51).
The government of Canada thus became the major influence that increased Inuit dependence on a “foreign way of life”. By the 1950s, the Inuit were so dependent on their relationship with white society that their culture had changed dramatically and that any true independence they once had was lost. “The central feature in this change involved the rapid shift of the Inuit from a nomadic land-based people to a sedentary, settlement-based population” (p.52) This shift was administrative in nature in that it made it much easier for the government to offer its services and social programs to the people living in these communities. Although these changes were “well-intentioned”, this process of modernization was changing the Inuit’s way of life for good. During this time, a series of “social changes” altered the future possibilities for the Inuit, which the author emphasized must be assessed in order to understand the Inuit’s present situation. Some of these changes were demographic in nature, in education, and social and economic conditions. Prior to moving to more permanent settlements, the Inuit had high fertility and mortality rates, with disease and illness affecting many. However, with now easier access to medical attention, both curative and preventative, populations increased dramatically doubling from 1951 to 1981. “When fertility rates are high, the base of the population pyramid becomes disproportionately large”, (p.52) which means there are unusually high numbers of young people or “dependents”. Economically, high rates of population growth are not good as they can prevent economic development and expansion in a region. In addition to improvements in medicine, educational changes such as the building of schools were also introduced in Inuit settlements beginning in the early 1950s thus beginning the task of educating the Inuit people, the vast majority of whom could not read or write.
“Cultural replacement” was emphasized which included non-Inuit educators who taught exclusively in English, with a curriculum centered on Canadian values. This had detrimental effects on Inuit youth as it exposed them to “a set of values, attitudes and behaviors that were very different from more traditional ones held by their parents.” (p.53). The author emphasizes that when the educational and demographical effects are combined, “dissatisfaction, discouragement and frustration” occurs, making it very difficult for the area to develop
properly. The last change was in the social and economic conditions facing the Inuit. As part of their move from a “hunting and trapping existence” to the settlements after the end of the fur trade, the government provided the Inuit with housing, education, welfare, and medical facilities. However, these changes came with a considerable cost as “modernization” resulted in a loss of independence and a lack of employment opportunities and also led to a disconnection between the young, modern Inuit and their older, traditional parents. Although the changes were meant to improve the Inuit condition, the process was still incomplete, one example being that the” desired goals cannot be achieved for the means of self-determination and fulfillment is (still) lacking” (p.54). The author concludes that the decisions made by the Inuit now will hold a crucial impact on their future, and if they are to proceed in the modernization process and escape from the “psychology of dependence”, will have to have considerable input and control in their future.
In his article for the book As Long as the Sun Shines and the Water Flows: A Reader in Canadian Native Studies, Roberts gives his opinion and analysis of the social process and changes that the Inuit experienced in moving from a traditional society to a modern society. The article is dated, being from the 1990s, and in it, Roberts states that the “Inuit appear to be at a crossroads” and that he believes that if they are to survive as a people into the future and become modern, that they will need to have a “considerable measure of control over how they wish to manage these social structures for their own interests.” (p.55). He emphasized that the “land claims issue” which at the time of the writing had not been determined, would have to be settled before modernization could proceed. This has now happened as a land claims agreement was signed in September 1992 and Nunavut (which is 84% Inuit) became Canada’s third territory on April 1, 1999.
Demographically, growth and fertility rates remain high, as according to the 2011 census, Nunavut’s population has grown by 8%. However, the territory continues to have the highest migration rates in the country due to lack of economic opportunities. Education, which Roberts stated was one of the ways the federal government attempted to force Canadian values onto the Inuit, continues to be an issue. Today, Nunavut continues to graduate students at well below the Canadian average, and those that do get a diploma are usually not fluent in either English or Inuktitut. One could argue that education is the most crucial tool in the “modernization process” and the article may have been more effective had Roberts had spent more time and detail discussing how he felt the education system could best serve the needs of Inuit students.
Recent social and economic data also paints a negative picture regarding the effects of modernization. Government sources and statistics indicate that in Nunavut, suicide rates (11x), infant mortality rates (3x), life expectancy (15 years below) all fall far below the national averages. Overcrowded housing, violence, and crime are also up and the average Inuit income in the territory is just over $13 000. These are all disturbing trends which all increased after the government tried to “modernize” the Inuit, and it would be very interesting to see Roberts perspective on these issues today.
As for the article, Roberts did do an excellent job of showing the history of how the Inuit were transformed during the initial stages of modernization, as he attempted to answer the question “How can the Inuit become modern in a manner that preserves their self-identity and minimizes social disorganization?” Roberts followed a thematic manner and used many examples, which helped the reader to better understand the history and progression of these changes which allows the reader to draw their own conclusions of whether the events are moving in favour of the Inuit or not. This article could be recommended for anybody interested in the history of the Inuit peoples of Canada, as well as those interested in understanding the ongoing changes and challenges that the present-day Inuit people are facing in 21st century Canada.