A Sadlermiut man paddling on an inflated walrus skin, 1830[1] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
---|---|
Canada | |
Languages | |
Undetermined | |
Religion | |
Possibly shamanism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Dorset culture, other Inuit, Aleuts, Yupiks |
The Sadlermiut (also called Sagdlirmiut,[2][3] or Sallirmiut in modern Inuktitut spelling, from Sadlerk[4] now Salliq, the Inuktitut name for the settlement of Coral Harbour, Nunavut) were an Inuit group living in near isolation mainly on and around Coats Island, Walrus Island, and Southampton Island in Hudson Bay.[5] They survived into the early 20th century and were thought by some to have been the last remnants of the Dorset culture[4] as they had preserved a culture and dialect distinct from the mainland Inuit. Despite their culture and local traditions seeming to show combined elements of both the Dorset and Thule societies,[6] genetic studies show no Dorset admixture and prove a sole Inuit ancestry leading many to conclude the cultural difference may be entirely due to their isolation from the mainland Inuit.[7] Research published in 2015 found that the Sadlermiut were genetically Thule who had somehow acquired Dorset cultural features, such as stone technology. It remains a mystery how they acquired Dorset technology in the absence of obvious genetic admixture such as through intermarrying.[8]