Hunting Culture

Hunting and fishing have been a matter of life and death for 4,000 years, shaping a culture that invented and perfected the kayak.

HUNTING CULTURE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS

Since the first wave of immigration via Thule around 4-5000 years ago, the Inuits in Greenland have been dependent on nature’s resources in the form of fish, birds, land mammals and marine mammals.

Hunting and fishing have therefore always been a question of survival in a country in which the summer is short and the climate unsuitable for effective farming.

"Hunting and fishing have always been a way of life in Greenland"

Package Tours

Bowhunting Greenland: Caribou Hunting

BowhuntingGreenland

Caribou Hunting

BowhuntingGreenland offers quality Caribou Hunting only

Bowhunting Greenland: Muskox Hunting with rifle

Bowhunting Greenland

Muskox Hunting with rifle

Muskox Hunting quality expedition hunts for big Trophies in remote areas with GreenlandOutfitters

Blue Ice Explorer: Traditional kayak experience – 1 day

Blue Ice Explorer

Traditional kayak experience - 1 day

Explore the old inuit culture by paddling in a kayak built using the traditional, greenlandic methods.

Greenland Outfitters: King Eider Hunting

Greenland Outfitters

King Eider Hunting

GreenlandOutfitters offers quality King Eider Hunting. Limit 15 Eiders plus 15 other waterfowl Combo

UNIQUE HUNTING TOOLS AND VESSELS

…to make the tools that could mean the difference between life and death. Throughout the generations, the Inuit cultures managed to create and refine unique products such as the kayak, the women’s knife known as the ulo, the soapstone lamp and harpoons, bird spears and high quality clothing made of animal hide and fur.

The fact that even compacted snow could be used to build a temporary shelter in the form of the igloo bears witness to an extraordinary ability to utilise nature’s own materials.

TRADITIONS HANDED DOWN

Right from childhood the youngest generations have been taught by fathers and mothers how to make use of the traditional tools and methods of hunting.

Indeed, it is not unusual even today that children capture their first ptarmigan or seal even though they have only just begun attending school.

The first catch is a big event that is celebrated in a similar manner to birthdays…

CLIMATE CHANGE IS THREATENING THE HUNTER CULTURE

The hunters from North Greenland say today, however, that climate change has already led to short periods with much thinner ice or no ice at all in the winter and generally more unstable weather.

This may prove to be a major problem for the hunting culture in certain Greenlandic towns and settlements because the local population’s culture and existence depend on the ice for hunting and capturing prey, as well as for transport.

By Visit Greenland

Behind Greenland's largest travel site is the Visit Greenland that is 100% owned by the Government of Greenland, who is responsible for marketing the country's adventures and opportunities for guests wishing to visit the world's largest island

https://visitgreenland.com

Keep Exploring

Things to Do

Browse culture and nature (outdoor, hunting, fishing, cruises) related activities, as well as combination of both types.

Plan your trip

Read about practical information on how to get to Greenland, how to get around, when to travel or where to stay.

Destinations

Explore the regions and towns around Greenland and dig deeper into the experiences in each destination.

About Greenland

All about art, music, history, as well as animals, climate change and other interesting information about Greenland.