Word: eskimos
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...nearby community hall, which was redolent of blubber, untanned sealskin and oil. Without bothering to shed his mukluks (heavy sealskin boots), he pulled on the traditional black robe, white collar and tabs, and red sash of his office. Court was in session. For the tiny (pop. 540) Eskimo village of Igloolik, which has existed since 1500 B.C., it was the first time that a judge had ever paid a visit...
...tour involved flying 1,800 miles to hear four minor cases. The administration of justice in the Northwest costs about $600,000 a year, not a little of which goes for chartered planes. The Canadian government is willing to spend the money in an effort to treat the Eskimo the same as any other citizen under...
That is not to say that Morrow does not provide some local twists in his administration of justice. "In this culture," he says, "the criminal code of Canada does not always apply." Eskimo custom, for example, long tolerated blood-feud killings and also executions, which occurred when a village informally but solemnly decided that a particular individual was a threat to the public good. When Morrow is occasionally faced with such crimes, he makes no attempt to excuse the acts, but his sentences are usually light...
...says. "These are kids. I think of myself as bringing the presence of the law into these places, and I try to sit down and explain to these people whenever possible. What I'm doing is teaching civics." It is not easy. For a start, none of the Eskimo dialects have a precise translation of the words guilty and innocent. Judge comes out as "one who listens" or, more simply, "boss." In the unusual cases when there is also a six-man jury, the arrangement is described by Eskimo interpreters as "a big boss and six small bosses...
...getting through. In Resolute, 60 miles from the Magnetic Pole, a local teen-age interpreter greeted him proudly wearing a green sweatshirt emblazoned with "Here comes the judge." It was meant as a serious tribute. On the same stop there was perhaps an even more significant indicator. An Eskimo was fined $5 for beating up a friend. He was asked after the trial if the decision had been fair. "I don't have $5," he said morosely. But had the judge done right? After a thoughtful pause, the Eskimo replied: "He spoke the truth...