The Alaskan Eskimos became the cowboys of the far north! Each year
they have reindeer roundups, much like cattle roundups in the West. Of
course, they don't ride horses the way cowboys do. But they sometimes
rope reindeers with lariats, and they herd them into huge corrals for
branding.
[Illustration: Alaskan kayakers wear waterproof suits made from animal
intestines.]
The thin reindeer hides are valuable, so Eskimos don't spoil them by
burning on a brand. Instead they notch the edges of the animals' ears
in special ways. As the reindeer move from the corral through a narrow
chute, the cowboys cut the notches, so that each man can tell his own
animals.
[Illustration]
Very few Eskimos have grown rich from their reindeer, but reindeer
herding has become an important way of making a living for some of
them. Others still hunt and fish. Some get work part of each year on
fishing boats or in mines or on the docks loading ships. But most
Eskimos are still very poor.
[Illustration]