The Inuvialuit

The Inuit of Arctic Alaska, Canada and Greenland once travelled much of year in search of game. They built different types of dwellings depending on their location, the time of year, and how long they would be staying in any one location. The Inuit of the western Canadian Arctic, who today call themselves Inuvialuit, built their traditional winter houses from driftwood and sod.

This type of house, called an igluryuaq, was an amazing form of architecture where family members lived in comfort throughout the long, frigid winter. An igluryuaq provided more than just shelter. It was a home, where people slept, ate, raised their children, played, visited, told stories and carried out many other social activities.