The harsh life in the cold land borders the Arctic

The main food of people living in Greenland is meat. They eat both seals, polar bears or even killer whales if they can catch them.

Picture 1 of The harsh life in the cold land borders the Arctic
Photographer Matthieu Paley explored the land of Isortoq of Greenland, a self-governing country of Denmark, in December 2013.This year-round snowy area is home to 64 people, including children.Life is almost isolated, making households self-hunting to ensure life.

Picture 2 of The harsh life in the cold land borders the Arctic
Due to being close to the Arctic, Greenland in general and Isortoq region in particular, are covered by snow all year round.Plants here only have a chance to grow in the short summer months.Therefore, the main source of food is meat.They are the best meat eaters in the world.

Picture 3 of The harsh life in the cold land borders the Arctic
Photographer Paley said: 'Isortoq is a small village, with a population of 64 people. Their wooden house is like giant dice next to the ice caps. I arrived at the village after four different flights and two journeys by helicopter. I would like to stay with a household to see their daily life. '

Picture 4 of The harsh life in the cold land borders the Arctic
In Isortoq, people store food in the basement of houses.The cold weather made them freeze as in a freezer.They stored the hunted animals in the cellar for use in the event of unfavorable weather, making them unable to hunt.

Picture 5 of The harsh life in the cold land borders the Arctic
People in Isortoq eat every animal they can hunt.Their food is usually fish, birds, mallards, seals or even polar bears.The frozen head of a white bear lies on the family dinner table as they prepare to take meat from it to cook food.

Picture 6 of The harsh life in the cold land borders the Arctic
A girl caught a large fish after punching holes in the ice to catch fish in cold weather.

Picture 7 of The harsh life in the cold land borders the Arctic
Even large killer whales can become food if they are caught.However, one cannot use knives to filter their flesh.The landlord, the photographer Paley, used the ax and crowbar to separate a killer whale's rib.They caught it at the end of July, when this species entered the migration season.