Inuit Carved Humpback Whale Bone Sculpture. The bone is carved into the shape of a humpback whale rising from the depths. The number "33000139" is etched onto the bottom of the hollowed bone base, all one remarkable solid piece. 

Size: 3 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 1 in. 

The Inuit are Indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and Russia, having descended from the Thule people who migrated from Siberia at least 4,000 years ago. Historically a nomadic and self-sufficient society, they developed advanced technologies such as the buoyant sealskin kayak and utilized animal hides, bones, and soapstone for both tools and spiritual art, creating sculptures, clothing, hunting equipment, and other items that allowed them to thrive in the inhospitable climate. Following initial friendly contact with European explorers in the 16th Century, the population suffered mass deaths from foreign diseases and later faced systematic pressure to assimilate, ultimately resulting in the Canadian government forcing many Inuit into permanent settlements, causing a collapse of their traditional lifestyle and leading to widespread poverty during the early 20th Century. This era of oppression sparked an activist movement in the 1960s that eventually secured recognition of Inuit as Aboriginal peoples in Canada’s 1982 Constitution Act, and while modern agreements have restored significant land areas and autonomy in Canada in the 21st Century, Inuit communities in Greenland and Siberia continue to navigate complex issues of sovereignty and civil rights.

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