Thule people

The Thule People

The Thule people were the ancestors of today's Inuit and Yupik peoples. They lived a long time ago, starting in coastal Alaska around the year 1000 AD. From there, they traveled eastward across northern Canada and reached Greenland by the 1300s.

These people were very good hunters. They used special boats called kayaks and umiaks to travel and catch fish. They were especially known for hunting big bowhead whales. The Thule people used every part of the whale: the meat for food, the blubber for oil to light fires, and the bones for building and making tools.

The Thule people lived in houses made from whale bones and other materials. They worked together in groups to hunt and share food. Their skills in traveling and hunting helped them survive in the cold Arctic lands for many years.

People today learn about the Thule people by studying old sites where they lived. These places are found in areas like Baffin Island, Victoria Island, and Cape York. Researchers also study their tools and bones to understand more about their lives long ago.