Inuit Traditional Wrestling of Northern Canada: An Indigenous Standing Wrestling Tradition within the Global Traditional Wrestling Framework

Traditional wrestling represents one of humanity's oldest and most widespread forms of physical culture. Across civilizations, indigenous wrestling traditions have served functions extending far beyond athletic competition, including physical education, military preparation, moral instruction, community cohesion, and cultural identity. From the wrestling systems of Central Asia and the Korean Peninsula to those preserved among Arctic indigenous peoples, wrestling has historically reflected the environmental conditions and social organization of each society. The traditional wrestling practices of the Inuit people in Northern Canada constitute an important yet relatively understudied example of indigenous physical culture. Unlike modern competitive wrestling, Inuit wrestling developed within Arctic communities where physical ability was closely connected to hunting, transportation, and survival. Consequently, wrestling emphasized balance, body control, leverage, endurance, and efficient movement rather than prolonged ground fighting or standardized sporting rules. Although historical documentation remains limited, anthropological evidence demonstrates that Inuit wrestling functioned as an educational activity through which younger generations acquired physical competence, social discipline, and cultural values. Knowledge was transmitted primarily through observation, oral tradition, and repeated participation within community life rather than through written manuals. Recent scholarship concerning indigenous sports has increasingly recognized that traditional physical activities constitute valuable forms of intangible cultural heritage. Wrestling preserves not only techniques of movement but also historical memory, ethical principles, educational philosophy, and collective identity. Inuit wrestling therefore deserves greater academic attention within the broader study of traditional wrestling cultures. This study adopts an interdisciplinary approach integrating historical research, anthropology, indigenous studies, and comparative traditional wrestling research. Rather than treating Inuit wrestling as an isolated local activity, it examines the tradition within a broader international framework that includes other standing wrestling systems such as Korean Northern-style Ssireum, Mongolian Bökh, Iranian Koshti Pahlavani, and Uzbek Kurash. INSF Traditional Wrestling Research Project Published by the International Northern Ssireum Federation INSF Academic Series Volume 12 Project Framework This paper was prepared as part of the INSF Traditional Wrestling Research Project, an international research initiative coordinated by the International Northern Ssireum Federation (INSF). The project promotes the documentation, preservation, and comparative study of indigenous wrestling traditions and warrior cultures from participating countries. National advisors and collaborating researchers contribute country-specific research within the framework of this international academic initiative.