Inuit Laws

Through the voices of Inuit elders, this book is a critical and cultural-historical engagement with the traditional concepts of tirigusuusiit, piqujait, and maligait. These three concepts refer to what had to be followed, done, or not done in Inuit culture. Although these terms are now often used as equivalents to modern Western notions of law, this work examines how Inuit and Western concepts of law derive from completely different cultural perspectives.

Through the guiding concepts of maligait, piqujait, and tirigusuusiit, this book transcends discussions of law, examining how these Inuit concepts are embedded in social and cosmic relationships. This unique book examines these challenging concepts through the knowledge and stories of Inuit elders and evokes a unique experience whereby Western knowledge – embodied in the participating scholars – works to describe and understand Inuit knowledge and models of traditional law.