_Belts (tapsĭ)._--The belt which is used to hold up the pantaloons or
breeches is simply a stout strip of skin tied round the waist. The
girdle, which is always worn outside of the frock, except when the
weather is warm or the wearer heated by exercise, is very often a
similar strap of deerskin, or perhaps wolfskin. Often, however, and
especially for full dress, the men wear a handsome belt woven from
feathers, and the women one made of wolverines’ toes. There are in the
collection two the former and one of the latter.
[Illustration: FIG. 83.--Man’s belt woven of feathers. The lower cut
shows detail of pattern. 1/4]
No. 89544 [1419] (Fig. 83_a_) has been chosen as the type of a man’s
belt. It is 35 inches long and 1 inch broad, and made of the shafts of
feathers woven into an elegant pattern, bordered on the edges with
deerskin, and terminating in a leather loop at one end and a braided
string at the other. The loop is a flat piece of skin of the bearded
seal, in which is cut a large oblong eye. The weaving begins at the
square end of the loop. The warp consists of nine long strands sewed
through the inner face of the leather so as to come out on the hinder
edge. The middle strand is of stout sinew braid, ending in a knot on
the inner side of the leather. The four on each side are of fine
cotton twine or stout thread, each two being one continuous thread
passing through the leather and out again. The woof is the shafts of
small feathers regularly woven, the first strand woven over and under,
ending over the warp, the next under and over, ending under the warp,
and so on alternately, each strand extending about one-fourth inch
beyond the outer warp-strand on each side. This makes the pattern
shown in Fig. 83_b_, a long stitch on each side, three very short ones
on each side of the middle, and a slightly longer one in the middle.
The strips of feathers forming the woof are not joined together, but
one strip is woven in as far as it will go, ending always on the inner
side of the belt, a new strip beginning where the other ends. The
shafts of black feathers, with a few of the barbs attached, are woven
into the woof at tolerably regular intervals. Each black strand starts
under the first strand of the warp, making the outer and inner of the
three short stitches on each side black. This produces a checkered
pattern along the middle of the belt (see enlarged section, Fig.
83_b_). The woof strands are driven home tightly and their ends are
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.
_Ornaments._--In addition to the trimmings above described there are
certain ornamental appendages which belong to the dress, but can not
be considered as essential parts of any garments, like the trimmings.
For instance, nearly every male in the two villages wears dangling
from his back between the shoulders an ermine skin either brown or
white, or an eagle’s feather, which is transferred to the new garment
when the old one is worn out. This is perhaps an amulet as well as an
ornament, as Dr. Simpson states.[N237] An eagle’s feather is often
worn on the outside of the hood, pendant from the crown of the head.
Attached to the belt are various amulets (to be described under the
head of “Religion”) and at the back always the tail of an animal,
usually a wolverine’s. Very seldom a wolf’s tail is worn, but nearly
all, even the boys, have wolverine tails, which are always saved for
this purpose and used for no other. This habit among the Eskimo of
western America of wearing a tail at the girdle has been noticed by
many travelers, and prevails at least as far as the Anderson River,
since Petitot,[N238] in describing the dress of the Anderson River
“chief,” says: “par derrière il portait aux reins une queue épaisse et
ondoyante de renard noir.” According to him[N239] it is the _women_ of
that region, who wear, “à titre de talismans, des defroques empaillées
de corbeau, de faucon, ou d’hermine.” The custom of wearing an ermine
skin on the jacket was observed by Dr. Armstrong of the _Investigator_
at Cape Bathurst.[N240]
[Footnote N237: Op. cit., p. 243.]
[Footnote N238: Monographie, etc., p. xiv.]
[Footnote N239: Ibid.]
[Footnote N240: Personal Narrative, p. 176.]