Country Food

Because unemployment is high and food imported from the South is expensive, "country food" plays an important role in the economy of the area. Five out of six households hunt and fish at least part-time. Some employers recognize the importance of hunting and fishing to the Inuit and give their employees time off for this purpose. Approximately 60% of households rely on country food for a large proportion of their meat. Seal, caribou, narwhal, fish and walrus account for 90% or more of the country food consumed and provide the Inuit with a healthy diet at much less cost than food imported from the South. Approximately 80% of Inuit consume some caribou, 55% eat some fish, and almost 40% eat some marine mammals. The Inuit also use a variety of plants for food and medicinal purposes, and collect birds' eggs and berries.

Annual capital and operating costs for harvesting activities may run to more than $10,000 per harvester. Nevertheless, country foods offer the Inuit the most economical and efficient investment of their scarce monetary resources. Harvesting consistently provides a higher yield of food per dollar than buying food imported from the South. Harvesting activities are supplemented by a number of government harvester assistance programs, by the production of traditional arts and crafts, by fox trapping and seal hunting for the fur industry, and by wage employment.