Two Inuit women scraping a caribou skin in Alaska. Scraping blood, fat and mebranes off the skin was important. Un-scraped skin becomes stiff and decompose fast. Both women are wearing a Mother Hubbard dress of European cloth with a skin lining. The Mother Hubbard dress was introduced in Alaska by European missionaries in the late 19th century. This type of dress is also known from Hawaii and Polynesia, but without the skin lining. In other areas of the Arctic European material and dress details like pockets and glass beads found their way into Inuit skin clothing. Photo from the 5th Thule-expedition 1921-24.
(Business Lounge Journal – Culture) Museum Nasional Denmark (Nationalmuseet) di Kopenhagen adalah museum terbesar sejarah budaya Denmark, terdiri dari sejarah budaya lokal dan asing, sama. Bangunan utama museum ini terletak tidak jauh dari Strøget di pusat Kopenhagen. Ini berisi pameran dari seluruh dunia, dari Greenland ke Amerika Selatan. Selain itu, museum sponsor SILA – The Greenland Pusat Penelitian di National Museum of Denmark untuk penelitian lebih lanjut arkeologi dan antropologi di Greenland.
Museum ini memiliki sejumlah komitmen nasional, khususnya dalam bidang utama berikut: arkeologi, etnologi, numismatik, etnografi, ilmu alam, konservasi, komunikasi, membangun kegiatan antik sehubungan dengan gereja-gereja dari Denmark, serta penanganan Danefæ (Treasures Nasional). Salah satu yangmenarik adalah untuk memperhatikan dokumentasi para orang asli Eskimo dan mengetahui sedikit budaya mereka.
A meeting between a Netsilik Inuit man (left) and a Caribou Inuit man (right) at Baker Lake Canada. Botha re wearing clothing and boots made of caribou skin. Both parkas have fringes at the lower hem to prevent snow and cold to seep in under the garment. The Netsilik Inuit was wearing typical short flared trousers. Brown, black and white caribou skin was combined to create beautiful patterns. But the patterns were not only just for show. Even at long distance the patterns revealed the social identity of the wearer. Photograph from the 5th Thule-expedition 1921-24.Iglulik Inuit Woman wearing a parka of bleached caribou skin with the fur inwards in Chesterfield, Canada. The large hood is characteristic for Inuit women’s parkas and was used for carrying infants or materials collected in the landscape e.g. heather. The parka has embroideries inspired by Native American patterns as well as many bead strings. When the parka was worn out, the valuable embroidery and beads would be re-used on a new garment. The untanned skin clothing normally had to be replaced after one year of wear. Photograph from the 5th Thule-expedition 1921-24.Inuit Boy with his toy bow at Iglulik, Canada. In past Inuit communities the boys were practicing bow hunting in an early age. Good hunting skills were necessary to obtain food and skin for e.g. clothing and kayaks. Photo from the 5th Thule-expedition 1921-24.Iglulik Inuit hunting on the edge of the sea ice at Iglulik, Canada. His warm clothing and boots are made of caribou skin. The hairs of the caribou are hollow keeping the warmth much longer than the seals. Clothing of caribou skin was well suited was well suited for hunting on the sea ice. The Inuit often had to wait for hours to catch seals or walruses. Photograph from the 5th Thule-expedition 1921-24.Polar explorer Knud Rasmussen and ethnographer Kaj Birket-Smith wearing clothing of the Caribou Inuit and an unknown Inuit group respectively. After a tough journey through Barren Grounds to the expedition base they changed their outworn skin clothing with clothing collected during the expedition. Both garments are made of caribou skin. The fringes at the lower hem prevented snow and cold to seep under the parka. Birket-Smith is wearing Greenlandic sealskin mittens. The large dress collection was later donated to the National Museum of Denmark. Photo from the 5th Thule-expedition 1921-24.The Greenlandic Inuit Agioq and “Boatsman” making a hole in the sea ice during seal hunting at Danske Øen, Canada. These two Inuit participated in the 5th Thule-expedition supplying the expedition with game and skin for clothing. Inuit were important members of the Arctic expeditions due to their hunting and survival skills as well as their ability to find the safe routes in the landscape. Photograph from the 5th Thule-expedition 1921-24.The Danish archaeologist Terkel Mathiassen portrayed on the 20th of March 1923 in Canada. Terkel Mathiassen took part in Knud Rasmussen’s 5th Thule expedition. With temperatures down to 50 degrees Celsius, the members of the expedition had to wear skin clothing most of the time. Worn-out skin clothing had to be replaced several times during the four years of exploring. Three Inuit women from Greenland joined the expedition repairing the skin clothes along the way.A Netsilik Inuit hunting on the sea ice at Pelly Bay, Canada. The men broke holes in the ice with the broad end of the harpoon shaft. The seals would come to the holes to breathe and was killed with the point of the harpoon. All are wearing clothing and small back packs of caribou skin. Reinder fur is warmer than seal skin, because the hairs are hollow. The fringes at the lower hem prevented snow and cold to seep under the parka. The Netsilik caught seal to get blubber for their lamps. But the meat, skin and bones were also used. Photo from the 5th Thule-expedition 1921-24.
