Ethnological results of the Point Barrow expedition: Ninth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1887-1888, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1892, pages 3-442Murdoch, John
History
Ethnological results of the Point Barrow expedition: Ninth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1887-1888, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1892, pages 3-442
Murdoch, John
Eskimos -- Alaska -- Barrow, Point, Region
secured on each side by a double thread of cotton sewed into the
corner of the leather loop. One thread runs along the outside of the
belt and the other along the inside, passing between the ends of the
feathers about every ten feathers and making a turn round the outer
thread, as in Fig. 84. The edges of the belt are trimmed off even and
bound with a narrow strip of deerskin with the flesh side out and
painted red. The binding of the upper edge makes an irregular loose
lining on the inside of the belt. Across the end of the belt is sewed
on each side a narrow strip of sealskin, and the ends of the warp are
gathered into a three-ply braid 16 inches long, which is used to
fasten the belt by drawing it through the loop and knotting it. An
ancient bone spearhead is attached to the belt as an amulet by a stout
strap.
[Illustration: FIG. 84.--Diagram showing method of fastening the
ends of feathers in belt.]
No. 89543 [1420] is a similar belt worn in precisely the same way, but
with the black feathers introduced in a different pattern. The weaving
is done by hand with the help of some little tools, to be described
under implements for making and working fiber. Belts of this style
appear to be peculiar to the Point Barrow region. Indeed, girdles of
any kind are seldom worn over the jacket by the men in the eastern
regions.
[Illustration: FIG. 85.--Woman’s belt of wolverine toes. 3/8]
The women never wear anything except a simple strip of skin or the
wolverine belt mentioned above. No. 89542 [1421], Fig. 85, is one of
these. It is made of nine strips of dark brown skin from round the
foot of the wolverine, sewed together end to end. Each strip, except
the one at the end, has a claw at the lower corner (on some of the
strips the bit of skin bearing the claws is pieced in) so that there
are eight nearly equidistant claws making a fringe round the lower
edge of the belt. There is a hole at each end into which is
half-hitched the end of a narrow strip of deerskin about 8 inches
long. These strings serve to tie the girdle. This belt is 33 inches
long and 1½ inches wide, and has been worn so long that the inside is
very dirty. Such belts are very valuable and highly prized, and are
worn exclusively by the women.
[Illustration: FIG. 86.--Belt-fastener.]
Fig. 86, No. 89718 [1055], is an object which is quite uncommon and
seldom if ever now seen in use. It is of walrus ivory, very old and
yellow. It served as a belt-fastener (tápsĭgɐ). I have seen a brass
clock wheel used on a girl’s belt for the same purpose. This specimen
is very old, neatly made, and polished smooth, probably from long use.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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