In this second lecture, we described and analyzed the resumption of whaling since the mid-1990s, and the fear that the Inuit of the Central Arctic still hold for the qupirruit (small animals) that exist in large numbers in these regions. In the case of whaling, we have examined the phenomenon of animal imitation in detail, on the premise that it provides a way into the complexity of the hunt, sheds new light on the relationship between predator and prey, and better links ontology and shamanism.
In an Inuit context, this imitation of the animal by the shaman can be reversed, as shown by certain hunting practices that are justified by the communication that always takes place between hunter and prey. We argue here that most of the gestures we place under this logic of imitation are in fact more a matter of prefiguration, as the gesture of pointing the finger at the whale clearly illustrates. From this perspective, the actions of humans, especially women, are aimed at seducing the whale. When women lie down while their husbands go hunting, they invite the whale to become passive and stand still, so that the hunters can harpoon it. In this way, the hunters and their wives try to deceive, or better still, manipulate their prey into imitating humans, rather than the other way around. These gestures are therefore a kind of prefiguration, defined as a form of non-verbal communication, the latter being the ideal option for hunters, who no longer have the impression of forcing their prey to give itself, but rather feel that it gladly accepts to offer itself to them. In other words, it's through a process of manipulation that they succeed in obtaining the consent of their prey. As a result, we must collectively rejoice. This is still an essential aspect of whaling. The hunter finally assumes his position as a "forced" predator, as the Ava shaman once put it.
As for the "little beasts" that abound in the Arctic regions and have yet to receive the attention they deserve, they play a fundamental role in the initiation, creation and transformation of the shamanic body. Like many other peoples, the Inuit seek to capture a share of the qupirruit 's vital force by using them, for example, in their amulets, or by accepting that lice regenerate their blood. However, they avoid prolonged, uncontrolled contact with these bugs, at the risk of being transformed themselves and passing into a world outside time and the rules it imposes on humans. As we have seen, these little beasts are best known and feared for their ability to devour and transform humans. Inuit, including artists, remain fascinated by their power of constant rebirth, and their ability to pass from life to death, in other words to link the world of the living with that of the dead.
In short, for the Inuit, the largest prey as well as the tiniest creatures are perceived on different scales, so that the smallest can become the most threatening to humans. Animism and perspectivism help us to grasp these phenomena, but they also remain closely linked to shamanic conceptions and practices. Far from having disappeared, these conceptions and practices are today entangled with Christianity. How, then, are we to grasp these hybrid cosmologies? How are the cultural logics involved differentiated and combined?
