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Paajartut (Wrestling)

Artist: Aisa Qupirualu Alasua Inuit used to have wrestling matches that lasted a long time. A wrestling match could go on for many hours. In order to get ready for a wrestling match, Inuit would remove their outside clothes such as their atigik [parka].

There are many different kinds of wrestling matches. These include: leg wrestle, thumb wrestle, chair wrestle and nikuvittuq – where one wrestler lies on top of the other.

Inuit wrestlers were not allowed to use their feet to trip each other. If a wrestler used his feet to trip the opposing player the game was stopped. Tripping was not allowed.

Long ago, wrestling matches would continue until there was a winner. Sometimes when the wrestlers were both very strong the match would continue for a very long time. The wrestlers would wrestle until one of the players became too weak to keep going, and gave up.

At that time Inuit lived in small camps, usually quite far from each other. The camps in Nunavik were mostly spread out along the coast of Hudson Bay and Ungava Bay. When Inuit came together they would have friendly wrestling matches. They played for fun and they played for pleasure.

Excerpt from: Unikkaangualaurtaa (Let's Tell a Story)