Language
Traditins - Subsistence, Ceremonies, Cultural Traditions
Traditional Trade
The ancient Eskimos had one common language, but the migration of native people - in search of land rich with marine animals, fish, and land animals - carried them over large regions and brought about the development of different groups, each with its own dialect.
Even though these groups speak different dialects, they have a common language that can be understood by many Eskimos living on both continents. Eskimos who speak Inupiat live on and to the north of the Seward Peninsula. Eskimos who speak Yupik live on the Asian coast, St. Lawrence Island, and south of the Seward Peninsula.
TRADITIONS - SUBSISTENCE, CEREMONIES, CULTURAL TRADITIONS
Eskimos in historical times were hunters of marine mammals (such as whales, walruses, and polar bears) and land mammals (such as sheep and caribou). In the 18th and 19th centuries, when American and Russian fur traders came to the Chukotskiy and Seward peninsulas, the natives trapped wolverines and foxes.
Ivory carving and the creation of clothing was also traditional. Ceremonies that developed during the Old Bering Sea period (1500-2500 B.P.) included marking the taking of whales, the start of the hunting season, the ritual initiation of young hunters, and other personal family celebrations.
Dances and songs have also existed since the Old Bering Sea period, the primary musical instrument being a skin drum.
An important element of the common heritage of Beringia is the trade among communities along the Bering Strait. The hides, meat, and products of reindeer and other land animals, as well as marine mammals, wood, and tools, have traditionally been exchanged.