Yes, historical accounts of Inuit custom describe practices that included the burial or suffocation of infants under specific circumstances.
Historical Inuit Custom Regarding Infants
According to historical records, Inuit custom at that time dictated that the child be buried alive or suffocated by its father if a woman could not be found to nurse it. This difficult decision was often a response to harsh survival conditions, particularly when a wet nurse was unavailable to feed the infant, which would inevitably lead to the child's death. While such a practice is viewed as cruel from a modern perspective, the Inuit believed that the child and its mother would travel to the land of the dead together, offering a cultural and spiritual context for this act.
Context and Beliefs
This custom was deeply rooted in the challenging environment and spiritual beliefs of the Inuit people, who traditionally inhabited regions including Greenland, Canada, and Alaska. The lack of a wet nurse meant the baby had no source of sustenance. In their belief system, this act was not merely ending a life but facilitating a spiritual journey alongside the mother, perhaps especially if the mother had also recently passed away or was unable to nurse.
- Reason: Inability to find a wet nurse.
- Action: Child buried alive or suffocated by the father.
- Cultural Belief: The child and mother would journey to the land of the dead together.
This highlights the stark realities faced by historical Inuit communities and their distinct cultural framework for understanding life, death, and the spiritual world.
