Traditional
Inuit beliefs are a form of animism, according to which
all objects and living beings have a spirit.
All
phenomena occur through the agency of some spirit. Intrinsically
neither good nor bad, spirits can affect people's lives
and, although not influenced by prayers, can be controlled
by magical charms and talismans.
The
person best equipped to control spirits is the shaman,
but anyone with the appropriate charms or amulets can
exercise such control. Shamans are usually consulted to
heal illnesses and resolve serious problems.
Communal
and individual taboos are observed to avoid offending
animal spirits, and animals killed for food must be handled
with prescribed rituals. Inuit rituals and myths reflect
preoccupation with survival in a hostile environment.
Vague
beliefs of an afterlife or reincarnation exist, but these
receive little emphasis.
Most
communal rites center on preparation for the hunt, and
myths tend to deal with the relations that exist between
humans, animals, and the environment.
In arctic Canada, Greenland, Labrador, and southern Alaska,
large numbers of Inuit have converted to Christianity.
See
also Native American
Religions
