ABSTRACT
In the early decades of the twentieth century, the Canadian government attempted to suppress many traditional aspects of Inuit culture as part of a general effort to assimilate Indians (the Canadian term for Native Americans) into Canadian society. Many Inuit were converted to Christianity by missionaries as well. In addition, Canada forced the Inuit to form permanent settlements, a practice foreign to their nomadic way of life. Discriminatory laws limiting the expression of traditional practices were amended or repealed in the last decades of the twentieth century. Today many Inuit continue to live in villages because of increased access to health care and the modern amenities many of them have adopted.
