Final answer:
The Inuit are indigenous peoples living in the Arctic regions of northern Alaska, Canada, and Greenland, known for their hunting and fishing way of life and for using animal hides for clothing and boats. They are recognized in the Canadian constitution and face contemporary challenges like resource exploitation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Inuit is a cluster name for many indigenous peoples who live in the Arctic regions of northern Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and some parts of Russia. These peoples have a rich history and continue to practice a form of hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Their diet mainly consists of animals and birds that are abundant in the Arctic, such as caribou, walrus, bowhead whale, seal, polar bear, muskox, and fox. The Inuit also utilize animal hides to create necessities such as clothing and watercraft capable of navigating the frigid Arctic waters.
Inuit communities are small, consisting of around 65,000 people who live in 53 communities across Canada, and they replace what might be considered a traditional nomadic lifestyle with a blend of wage employment and traditional hunting and fishing. The Inuit culture is distinct, with its own language, Inuktut, and is recognized as one of the three Indigenous Peoples groups in the Canadian constitution, alongside the First Nations and the Métis.
Despite facing numerous challenges such as resource exploitation and climate change, the Inuit have shown resilience in preserving their culture and traditional ways of living. The Canadian government has recognized the rights of the Inuit to their lands and traditional practices through various treaties.