Description - Arctic Peoples by Andrew Haslam
This book, which is one of a series, looks at the people of the Arctic and subarctic who lived about 200 years ago and shows how they used the resources around them to build shelters, find food, and develop a way of life that sustained them. Through the descriptions it is intended that the reader builds up a picture of the Eskimo way of life from the stories told by present-day arctic peoples, writings of early explorers and traders and the studies of anthropologists and archaeologists. In this way the author aims to promote an understanding of the Eskimo culture. The method the "Make it Work" series uses to look at history is to ask questions about the past and find some of the answers by making replicas of the things people have made. Throughout this book there are suggestions for projects to enliven the classroom situation and to bring visual reference to students who otherwise might find it difficult to visualize the lifestyle of these people.
The book includes a relief map of the arctic region, a cross section of the landscape defining the habitat of the eskimo, photographs of appropriate clothing worn by the people, patterns for the making of a waterproof Kamleika and summer hunting trousers, a wooden visor and bone goggles, a pair of mukluks or boots, dancing mittens and numerous examples of nomadic homes which can be constructed as models. These practical projects even extend to instructions for making a travel bag, a leister (the implement used for catching fish through the ice), a harpoon, a kayak, an umialik (a boat used in the search for whales) and a sled. There is a recipe for making bread and methods for making a kick-ball used by small boys. Visuals depict ornamented story knives which were used to draw pictures and symbols in the snow or mud, to illustrate storytellers' tales. Later a written language evolved which was recorded on animal skins. Many forms of art and craft are described and useful instruction are given for their creation, which includes masks, which were based on visions experienced by the shaman.
To conclude this section there are details for the making of a shaman's drum, and a coat worn by an angakok, an Inuit shaman. The book tells how over the past 40 years, the Eskimos have endured a compete upheaval in the way of their life that has served them so well for 3,000 years. However, such is the strength of their culture that many traditions have survived.
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