Native Americans: 22 Books on History, Mythology, Culture & Linguistic Studies. James Mooney

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СКАЧАТЬ for the contest with the mighty monster. The boats return to the north with the breaking up of the ice and the fishing ends in July. The Eskimo are paid off and dismissed and resume their reindeer hunting, while the whites are glad to enjoy some rest after the weeks of exhausting labor.

      The constant contact between the Eskimo and the whalers has effected a perfect revolution in the trade between the Eskimo tribes. As the whale catch in Cumberland Sound has fallen off during the past fifteen years, a remigration of the population of Davis Strait has occurred, ships visiting these shores every fall and a regular traffic being kept up. Therefore many Oqomiut now travel as far as Qivitung in order to trade there. As Nugumiut is still frequently visited by whalers, there is no inducement for the inhabitants to leave their country.

      Within a few years the Akuliarmiut also have become amply provided with firearms and European products in general by means of a new whaling station which has been established in their vicinity.

      As to the Iglulirmiut, the importation of European manufactures at Pond Bay makes the trade with that region even more important than formerly.

The Aivillirmiut and the Kinipetu have immediate intercourse with the whalers frequenting the western shore of Hudson Bay. Besides, the southern tribes trade with the stations of the Hudson Bay Company.

      The more western tribes of Boothia and its environs are dependent on the mediation of the Aivillirmiut for their supply of goods, as they themselves have no chance of communicating with the whites.

      Finally, I shall describe the old trading routes which existed between these tribes before matters were totally changed by the influence of the Europeans. Two desiderata formed the principal inducement to long journeys, which sometimes lasted even several years: wood and soapstone. The shores of Davis Strait and Cumberland Sound are almost destitute of driftwood, and consequently the natives were obliged to visit distant regions to obtain that necessary material. Tudjaqdjuaq in particular was the objective point of their expeditions. Their boats took a southerly course, and, as the wood was gathered, a portion of it was immediately manufactured into boat ribs and sledge runners, which were carried back on the return journey; another portion was used for bows, though these were also made of deer’s horns ingeniously lashed together. A portion of the trade in wood seems to have been in the hands of the Nugumiut, who collected it on Tudjaqdjuaq and took it north. Another necessary and important article of trade, soapstone, is manufactured into lamps and pots. It is found in a few places only, and very rarely in pieces large enough for the manufacture of the articles named. Among the places visited by the natives for the purpose of obtaining it may be mentioned Kautaq, east of Naujateling; Qeqertelung, near the former place; Qarmaqdjuin (Exeter Bay), and Committee Bay. The visitors come from every part of the country, the soapstone being dug or “traded” from the rocks by depositing some trifles in exchange. In addition to wood and soapstone, metals, which were extremely rare in old times, have formed an important object of trade. They were brought to Baffin Bay either by the Aivillirmiut, who had obtained them from the Hudson Bay Company and the Kinipetu, or by the Akuliarmiut. Even when Frobisher visited the Nugumiut in 1577 he found them in possession of some iron (Frobisher).

The occurrence of flint, which was the material for arrowheads, may have given some importance to places where it occurs. Formerly an important trade existed between the Netchillirmiut and the neighboring tribes. As the district of the former is destitute of driftwood and potstone they are compelled to buy both articles from their neighbors. In Ross’s time they got the necessary wood from Ugjulik, the potstone from Aivillik. They exchanged these articles for native iron (or pyrite), which they found on the eastern shore of Boothia and which was used for striking fire. After having collected a sufficient stock of it during several years, they traveled to the neighboring tribes. For reasons which have been mentioned this trade is now essentially changed. According to Schwatka there is a mutual distrust between the Ugjulirmiut and the Netchillirmiut on one side and the Qidnelik on the other, for which reason the intercourse between these tribes is very limited.

      List of the Central Eskimo Tribes

       Table of Contents

      The following list gives the tribes of the Central Eskimo and their geographical distribution:

       I. Northern coast of Labrador:(1) Kangivamiut (George River).(2) Kouksoarmiut (Big River).(3) Ungavamiut (Hope Advance Bay).(4) Itivimiut (Cape Wolstenholme).

       II. Northern shore of Hudson Strait:(5) Sikosuilarmiut (King Cape).(6) Akuliarmiut (North Bluff).(7) Qaumauangmiut (Middle Savage Islands).

       III. Davis Strait:(8) Nugumiut (Frobisher Bay).(9) Oqomiut (Cumberland Sound):a. Talirpingmiut (west shore of Cumberland Sound and Nettilling).b. Qinguamiut (head of Cumberland Sound).c. Kingnaitmiut (Qeqerten and environs).d. Saumingmiut (southern part of Cumberland Peninsula).(10) Akudnirmiut (Davis Strait).a. Padlimiut (Padli Fjord).b. Akudnirmiut (Home Bay).

       IV. Northern part of Baffin Land, North Devon, and Ellesmere Land:(11) Aggomiut.a. Tununirmiut (Eclipse Sound).b. Tununirusirmiut (Admiralty Inlet and North Devon).(12) Inhabitants of Umingman Nuna (Ellesmere Land).

       V. Melville Peninsula, Wager River, and Southampton Island:(13) a. Iglulirmiut (Fury and Hecla Strait).b. Amitormiut (eastern coast of Melville Peninsula).(14) a. Pilingmiut (eastern coast of Fox Basin).b. Sagdlirmiut (islands of Fox Basin).(15) Aivillirmiut (Repulse Bay and Wager River).(16) Sagdlirmiut (Southampton Island):

       VI. (17) Kinipetu (Chesterfield Inlet).

       VII. Boothia Felix and King William Land:(18) Sinimiut (Pelly Bay).(19) Netchillirmiut (Boothia Felix and King William Land).(20) Ugjulirmiut (King William Land and Adelaide Peninsula).(21) Ukusiksalirmiut (estuary of Back River).

       VIII. Qidnelik (coast west of Adelaide Peninsula).

       IX. Inhabitants of North Greenland.

Hunting and Fishing4

       Table of Contents

Seal, Walrus, and Whale Hunting

       Table of Contents

      The staple food of the Central Eskimo is the seal, particularly Pagomys fœtidus. The methods of hunting this animal differ materially at different seasons, as its mode of life depends on the state of the ice.

      Fig. 390. harpoon from Alaska.

       (American Museum of Natural History,

       New York.)

      Fig. 391. Modern unang or sealing harpoon.

       (Museum für Völkerkunde,

       Berlin. IV A 6729.)

      In the winter it takes to the smooth parts of СКАЧАТЬ