Faces of the Arctic
Many peoples. Distinct cultures. Life today.
Indigenous peoples have shaped the Arctic for thousands of years. Inuit communities live across Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Chukotka; the Sámi homeland spans northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. They are among the Arctic’s larger Indigenous populations. Nenets, Chukchi, Evenki, Gwich’in, Unangan and many other peoples are also part of this diversity. Each has its own languages, traditions and relationship with the land. Today, cultural continuity, diverse professions and the struggle for self-determination exist side by side.
Background and sources
Population comparisons depend on geographic boundaries and national definitions. The gallery offers selected encounters, not a complete survey.
Select a portrait to discover the community, its homelands, culture and challenges.
These photographs show individual people and particular moments. Places identify the photograph location where known; Sápmi names the Sámi homeland. More detail is provided in each portrait.