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Culture Greenland
A portal to Greenland's culture on the Internet. The aim of Culture Greenland is to maintain a large list of web sites with topics on Greenland's culture.

Greenland National Museum & Archives
This museum, located in Nuuk, Greenland is the central institution for research and documentation of the Greenland cultural history. It is also the central archival institution for public archives and offices. The museum holds a large collection of Greenlandic kayaks, but as yet, there is not a 'web tour' of the exhibition.

Kayak Seal Hunting in Illorsuit, Greenland 1959
Seal hunting by kayak was still part of their way of life for the Inuit villagers of Illorsuit, northwest Greenland, in 1959. In his Scottish sea kayak, Ken Taylor was able to accompany one of the hunters, as he chased and caught a number of seal. Taylor also describes the day-to-day life of the village. The report is lavishly illustrated with his photographs of this remarkably beautiful part of Arctic Greenland. The kayak Ken brought from Greenland greatly influenced kayaking in Europe and America and was the impetus behind the Anas Acuta and other glass kayaks.

Inuit Kayak Hunting and the Perception of the Environment in Greenland
'Frozen Landscapes, Dynamic Technologies' is an archaeological project that studies traditional kayaking in the Arctic. Of special interest are the interviews with Greenland kayakers and the film project.

Eskimo Life by Fridtjof Nansen
Replica (facsimile copy) of 1893 edition by Longmans, Green, and Co., London. This is an enchanting book with beautiful illustrations and vivid writing. Colorful accounts of the dangers and skills required for sealing via kayak. Includes a wealth of information regarding kayaking equipment and culture in post-contact Greenland. Available from Amazon.  An online version of Eskimo Life is now available courtesy of Google.

Sacred Hunt: A Portrait of the Relationship Between Seals and Inuit by David Pelly.
In this book David Pelly richly describes the importance of the seal hunt, beginning with the respect for seals underlying the hunt. This respect is reflected in the myths, legends, rituals, and traditions of the Inuit, which include stories about hunters transforming themselves into seals and the practice of offering a killed seal water to drink. Details from Amazon.

The Wedding of Palo (Palos Brudefaerd), a video by Knud Rasmussen, 1935
This fictionalized documentary was filmed with Ammassilik (East Greenland) natives and records Greenlandic life in the 1930's. Kayaking legend Manasse Mathaeussen is reported to have performed some of the rough-water kayaking stunt work. In addition to a wealth of cultural information, and scenes of kayaks and umiaks, there is enough kayaking footage, including close-up scenes of a partial sliding stroke, to keep Greenland-style kayakers very interested. Subtitles in English. Details from Amazon.

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