Where: The Arctic
Population: Around 100,000
Climate: Snow, ice, and freezing temperatures for most of the year
Housing: Traditionally, the Inuit live in dirt and rock shelters that are partially dug into the ground. During the summer, they live in tents made from animal skins.
Food: Walruses, polar bears, seals, fish, whales, caribou, birds

Traditions: The traditional Inuit lifestyle is one of nomadic hunting and gathering. The people live in small groups that are scattered over large areas. Everyone helps with the daily chores that ensure the group’s survival. The Inuit believe that all living things have a spirit, and when they fish, they often return small parts of their catch to the ocean to give thanks. They are always careful about the number of animals they kill in case the supply runs out. During the winter, storms and long hours of darkness keep the Inuit indoors for many hours. Traditionally, this was when they danced, sang, and told stories.

Where: Amazon rain forest along the border between Brazil and southern Venezuela
Population: Around 20,000
Climate: Hot and rainy for most of the year
Housing: Thatched huts usually arranged in a large circle
Food: Fish, birds, meat, plantain (a kind of banana), honey, corn, sweet potatoes

Traditions: The Yanomami are one of about five hundred different groups of native people who live in the Amazon rain forest. Some live in small family groups and others in larger communities. They consider the forest to be like a parent, which feeds and cares for them. They also believe that the forest is filled with spirits, and they’re careful not to anger these spirits by taking too many resources. The Yanomami realize that the rain forest must be shared with the plants and animals living there. Until recently, the Yanomami’s way of life was unchanged by contact with Western culture. Now, their land is frequently invaded by outsiders, especially miners.

Where: The Kalahari Desert and the surrounding plains of southern Africa
Population: Around 55,000
Climate: Three seasons — rainy; cold and dry; hot and dry
Housing: Grass huts
Food: Ostrich eggs, fresh and dried meat (antelope, giraffe, wildebeest), melons, berries, nuts, roots, seeds

Traditions: The San live and move around in family groups, hunting and gathering food for part of the year. They use the sun and stars to help them navigate across vast distances. Large animals are hunted using arrows that have been smeared with the poison from beetle larvae. Because the desert is so dry, ninety percent of the San’s water comes from eating plants, especially melons. The San value living in harmony with the land. Getting along with one another is also important, and all things are shared. Today, much of the land where the San live has been taken over for cattle ranches and animal reserves.