Alle Alle
The Little Auk (alle alle) is a small seabird that inhabits some of the most remote areas of the High Arctic.
The Little Auk is deeply connected to the history of human habitation in the region.
Science has shown that both the Little Auk and the first humans arrived 4500 years ago at roughly the same time.
In the summer, Northwest Greenland is home to the world’s largest breeding population – 33 million pairs!
Historically, highs and lows of Little Auk numbers have coincided with the arrivals and disappearances of human civilizations in Northwest Greenland, highlighting the close link between the two.
Although the Little Auk makes up only a small percentage of the Inughuit diet, harvesting is an important cultural tradition.
The Little Auk is harvested on high rocky cliffs using an ipoq which consists of a hoop and net on the end of a long pole.
Today’s ipoqs are constructed of imported bamboo and nylon net rather than the baleen and sinew from the past. However, the tool itself has remained largely unchanged for thousands of years.