northern into southern Greenland. This subfamily is generally called Inupiaq in Alaska, but also Inuktitut in Canada and Kalaallisut in Greenland. It consists of many dialects, each understandable to speakers of neighboring dialects, although not to speakers of geographically distant dialects. The western branch, called Yupik, includes three distinct languages, Central Alaskan Yupik and Pacific Gulf Yupik in Alaska and Siberian Yupik in Alaska and Canada. Each of these has several dialects. The Inupiaq dialects have more than 40,000 speakers in Greenland and more than 20,000 in Alaska and Canada. About 17,000 people speak Yupik languages. In the former Soviet Union about 1,000 people spoke it. Explorers and traders do not learn these languages because they are some of the most complex and difficult in the world. They rely on a jargon composed of Danish, Spanish, Hawaiian, and Inupiaq and Yupik words. V.Social OrganizationThe manners and customs of the Inuit are remarkably uniform despite the widespread diffusion of the people. The family is the most significant social unit. Marriages are generally open to choice. The usual pattern is monogamy, but both polygyny and polyandry also happen. Marriage is based on a strict division of labor. The husband and wife have their own tools, household goods, and other personal possessions. Men build houses, hunt, and fish. Women cook, dress animal skins, and make clothing. If one does not take care and help ones kin they will be ridiculed by the community. In extreme cases they can be put to death. If someone of one group harms someone from another, there could be a possible blood feud. This is strongly disapproved. Some groups control disputes by means of wrestling matches or song duels. These songs tend to be insulting. The loser of these might be driven from the community.Alliances between groups that are not related are formed and maintained by gift giving and the showing ...
