Ringed Seal — Natsiq

Ringed seals are the most abundant sea mammal in Inuit Nunangat. Seal meat is the main staple of traditional diets in almost every Inuit community. Seal meat and organs provide Inuit with an excellent source of protein, iron and some B vitamins. Seal liver and blubber are an excellent source of vitamin A and contain some vitamin C as well. Seal meat and organs keep Inuit healthy and warm. Seal is also a major source of selenium in the Inuit diet. The skins of ringed seal are extremely valuable for clothing, as they weigh less than caribou skins and are full of oil, which helps increase their water repellency. Yet they are also porous, which allows body humidity to escape. These characteristics make sealskin an ideal material for boots (kamiks) and for clothing worn while hunting at the ice edge or at seal breathing holes. Sealskin parkas and trousers are still worn in the spring and summer by many Inuit. In the past, the skins were also made into boats and kayaks, and sometimes were even used to make tents. When camping on the Land, Inuit still use seal fat for fuel oil in seal oil lamps (kudlik). While seals provide important nutritional and economic benefits, sealing also continues to play an important role in the social aspects of Inuit culture. This is reflected in the rich vocabulary in the Inuktitut language for different species, varieties and characteristics of seals. Sealing provides the context in which modern knowledge, as well as Inuit traditions about hunting and the ecology, are most fully expressed and transmitted through the generations.