The styles of clothing differ among the tribes of the Central Eskimo. In
summer the outer garment is always made of sealskins, though the women
wear deerskins almost the entire year. The sealskin clothing is made
from the skins of _Pagomys fœtidus_, yearlings being used, and also
from those of _Callocephalus_, if they can be obtained. The latter
particularly are highly valued by the natives. The inner garment is made
either of the skin of the young seal in the white coat or of a light
deerskin. It is cut entirely with the woman’s knife and is sewed with
deer sinews.
The prettiest clothing is made by the tribes of Davis Strait. Both men
and women wear boots, trousers, and jackets. The style of the men’s
clothing may be seen from Figs. 397 and 399, which represent men in the
winter clothing, and 412 and 435, which show them in summer clothing.
The summer boots are made from the hairless skin of _Pagomys fœtidus_,
the soles from that of _Phoca_, the sole reaching to the top of the
foot. The leg of the boot is kept up by a string passing through its rim
and firmly tied around the leg. At the ankle a string passes over the
instep and around the foot to prevent the heel from slipping down. On
the top of the foot a knob (qaturang) is sometimes attached to the
string as an ornament (Fig. 507). The stocking is made of light
deerskin. It reaches above the knee, where it has a trimming made from
the white parts of a deerskin, whereas the boot ends below the knee.
Next to the stocking is a slipper, which is made of birdskin, the
feathers being worn next to the foot. This is covered with a slipper of
sealskin, the hair side worn outward and the hair pointing toward the
heel. The boot finishes the footgear. In the huts the birdskin slippers
are frequently laid aside.
[Illustration: FIG. 507. Qaturang or boot ornament. (Museum für
Völkerkunde, Berlin. IV A 6850.)]
The breeches of the men consist of an outside and an inside pair, the
former being worn with the hair outside; the latter, which are made of
the skins of young seals or of deer, with the hair inside. They are
fastened round the body by means of a string and reach a little below
the knee. Their make will best be seen from the figures. Only the
southern tribes trim the lower end of the trousers by sewing a piece to
them, the hair of which runs around the leg, while above it runs
downward. This pattern looks very pretty.
[Illustration: FIG. 508. Woman’s jacket. (National Museum,
Washington.)]
[Illustration: FIG. 509. Ivory beads for women’s jackets, _a_
(Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin. IV A 6841) _b_, _c_ (National
Museum, Washington. 34134.) 1/1]
The jacket does not open in front, but is drawn over the head. It has a
hood fitting closely to the head. The back and the front are made of a
sealskin each. The hood of the Oqomiut is sharply pointed, while that of
the Akudnirmiut is more rounded. The jackets are cut straight and have a
slit in front. Some have a short tail behind, particularly the winter
jackets. The cut of the winter clothing, which is made of deerskin,
is the same as the former, and it is frequently trimmed with straps of
deerskin. The jacket is rarely worn with the hood down, as it is only
used while hunting and traveling. It is never brought into the huts, but
after being cleaned from the adhering snow with the snowbeater
(tiluqtung, as named by the eastern tribes; arautaq, as called by Hudson
Bay tribes) is kept in the storeroom outside the house.
The women’s trousers are composed of two pieces. The upper one fits
tightly and covers the upper half of the thigh. It is made of the skin
of a deer’s belly. The other parts are, as it were, leggings, which
reach from a little below the knee to the middle of the thigh and are
kept in place by a string running to the upper part of the trousers. The
women’s jacket (Fig. 508) is much more neatly trimmed than that of the
men. It is frequently adorned with ivory or brass beads running round
the edge (Fig. 509). It has a wide and large hood reaching down almost
to the middle of the body. In front the jacket has a short appendage;
behind, a very long tail which trails along the ground (see Fig. 508).
If a child is carried in the hood, a leather girdle fastened with a
buckle (Fig. 510) is tied around the waist and serves to prevent the
child from slipping down. The first specimen given in Fig. 510 is
remarkable for its artistic design.
[Illustration: FIG. 510. Girdle buckles. _a_, _c_, _d_ (Museum für
Völkerkunde, Berlin.) _b_ (National Museum, Washington. 34125.) 1/1]
Among the Akudnirmiut of Davis Strait another fashion is more frequently
in use much resembling that of Iglulik. The women have a wider jacket
with a broader hood, enormous boots with a flap reaching up to the hip,
and breeches consisting of one piece and reaching to the knees.
Unfortunately I have no drawing of this clothing and must therefore
refer to Parry’s engravings, which, however, are not very well executed,
and to the figures representing dolls in this costume (see Fig. 528).
When children are about a month old they are put into a jacket made from
the skin of a deer fawn and a cap of the same material, their legs
remaining bare, as they are always carried in their mother’s hood. In
some places, where large boots are in use, they are said to be carried
in these. The cap is separate and is always made of the head of a fawn,
the ears standing upright on each side of the head. The jacket is either
quite open in front or has a short slit. Children of more than two years
of age wear the same clothing, with trousers and boots (Fig. 511). When
they are about eight years old they are clothed like men (Fig. 512).
Girls frequently wear the same kind of dress for some time, until they
are from nine to ten years old, when they assume the clothing of the
women.
[Illustration: FIG. 511. Infant’s clothing. (Museum für Völkerkunde,
Berlin.)]
[Illustration: FIG. 512. Child’s clothing.]
As to the mode of clothing of the other tribes I give the descriptions
of the authors.
Parry describes the dress of the Iglulirmiut as follows (II, p. 495):
In the jacket of the women, the tail or flap behind is very broad,
and so long as almost to touch the ground; while a shorter and
narrower one before reaches halfway down the thigh. The men have
also a tail in the hind part of their jacket, but of smaller
dimensions; but before, it is generally straight or ornamented by
a single scollop. The hood of the jacket * * * is much the largest
in that of the women, for the purpose of holding a child. The back
of the jacket also bulges out in the middle to give the child a
footing, and a strap or girdle below this, and secured round the
waist by two large wooden buttons in front, prevents the infant
from falling through when, the hood being in use, it is necessary
thus to deposit it. * * * The upper (winter) garment of the
females, besides being cut according to a regular and uniform
pattern, and sewed with exceeding neatness, which is the case with
all the dresses of these people, has also the flaps ornamented in
a very becoming manner by a neat border of deerskin, so arranged
as to display alternate breadths of white and dark fur. This is,
moreover, usually beautified by a handsome fringe, consisting of
innumerable long, narrow threads of leather hanging down from it.
This ornament is not uncommon also in the outer jackets of the
men. When seal-hunting, they fasten up the tails of their jackets
with a button behind.
The breeches and the foot gear of the men are described as being much
the same as those of the Akudnirmiut. Parry remarks (loc. cit.) that
several serpentine pieces of hide are sewed across the soles to prevent
them from wearing out:
The inner boot of the women, unlike that of the men, is loose
around the leg, coming as high as the knee joint behind, and in
front carried up by a long, pointed flap nearly to the waist and
there fastened to the breeches. The upper boot, with the hair as
usual outside, corresponds with the other in shape, except that it
is much more full, especially on the outer side, where it bulges
out so preposterously as to give the women the most awkward,
bow-legged appearance imaginable. * * * Here, also, as in the
jacket, considerable taste is displayed in the selection of
different parts of the deerskin, alternate strips of dark and
white being placed up and down the sides and front by way of
ornament. The women also wear a moccasin (itigega) overall in the
winter-time.
The dress of the Aivillirmiut is similar to that of the Igiulirmiut
(Gilder, p. 139).
Traces of clothing found in old graves of Cumberland Sound and
Frobisher’s description of the dress of the Nugumiut show that the style
of clothing now used by the Igiulirmiut formerly obtained in all parts
of Baffin Land.
All the Eskimo wear mittens. Those used in winter are made of the skin
of young seals or of deerskin. In summer they use hairless sealskin, and
sometimes make them with two thumbs, so as to turn the mitten round if
one side should become wet.
The manner of dressing the hair practiced by the tribes of Northeastern
Baffin Land differs from that of other tribes. On Davis Strait and in
Hudson Bay the men allow it to grow to a considerable length, but
frequently cut it short on the forehead. If all the hair is long it is
kept back by a band made of the skin of deer antlers taken in the
velvet. Sometimes these ties are very neatly finished. Frobisher states
that the Nugumiut shaved part of their heads. The Kinipetu shave the top
of the head; the Netchillirmiut wear their hair short.
The women have two styles of dressing their hair. They always part it on
the top of the head. The back hair is wound into a bunch protruding from
the back of the head or nicely arranged in a knot. The hair at the sides
is plaited and folded over the ears, joining the knot behind. The other
way is to arrange these parts in small pigtails reaching a little below
the ears. They are kept in order by an ivory or brass ring (see Fig.
515).
The manner in which the Iglulirmiut dress their hair is thus described
by Parry (II, p. 493):
They separate their locks into two equal parts, one of which hangs
on each side of their heads and in front of their shoulders. To
stiffen and bind these they use a narrow strap of deerskin,
attached at one end to a round piece of bone, fourteen inches
long, tapered to a point, and covered over with leather. This
looks like a little whip, the handle of which is placed up and
down the hair and the strap wound round it in a number of spiral
turns, making the tail, thus equipped, very much resemble one of
those formerly worn by our seamen. The strap of this article of
dress, which is altogether called a tugliga, is so made from the
deerskin as to show when bound round the hair, alternate turns of
white and dark fur, which give it a very neat and ornamental
appearance. * * * Those who are less nice dispose * * * their hair
into a loose plait on each side or have one tugliga and one plait.
[Illustration: FIG. 513. Ivory combs. (National Museum, Washington.
10195.) 1/1]
The natives of Southampton Island arrange their hair in a bunch
protruding from the forehead (sulubaut). The same dress is worn at
certain feasts on Davis Strait (p. 608).
For dressing the hair ivory combs are in use, two specimens of which are
represented in. Fig. 513.
The clothing is frequently trimmed with straps of white deerskin, giving
it a pleasing appearance. The edge of the women’s jacket is adorned with
ivory beads. Instead of these, teeth, deer’s ears, foxes’ noses, or
brass bells are sometimes used.
[Illustration: FIG. 514. Buckles. _c_ (From Tununirnusirn.)
(National Museum, Washington, _a_, 10196; _b_, 10400; _c_, 10177;
_d_, 10196; _e_, 10195; _f_, 10207.) 1/1]
The inner jackets of the men are sometimes trimmed with beads, feathers,
or leather straps, forming a collar and figures of different kinds on
the back and on the breast. An amulet is worn in the middle of the back
(p. 592). These ornaments and the amulet are only visible when the outer
garment is taken off in the hut.
Fig. 514 represents a number of buckles serving to carry needlecases or
similar implements at the girdle, to which the eye is tied, the button
being fastened to the implement. Head ornaments are in frequent use and
are sometimes beautifully finished.
[Illustration: FIG. 515. Manner of tattooing face and wearing hair.]
The women are in the habit of adorning their faces by tattooing. It is
done, when they are about twelve years of age, by passing needle and
thread covered with soot under the skin, or by puncture, the points of
the tattooing instruments being rubbed with the same substance in both
cases, which is a mixture of the juice of _Fucus_ and soot, or with
gunpowder, by which process they obtain a blue color. The face, arms,
hands, thighs, and breasts are the parts of the body which are generally
tattooed. The patterns will be seen in Figs. 515 and 516.
[Illustration: FIG. 516. Manner of tattooing legs and hands.]