Objects of Eskimo clothing. That Eskimo clothing for climatic reasons first and foremost serves as a protection against the cold is so obvious that it needs no further explanation, and for the same natural reasons it is more complete than is usually found among other primitive people. Out at the coast, spring and summer boots are of sealskin and a few Qaernermiut — without doubt following the example of the Aivilingmiut — have adopted frocks of the same material; otherwise the clothing is of deerskin only, thus combining extreme lightness of weight and relatively great strength with very little conductive power for heat. The greatest drawback about deerskin is that the hair breaks so easily and therefore the skin is always "moulting". The best skins for clothing are obtained at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. The thin-haired skins are used for under-frocks and for outer-frocks in spring; very dark skins, on which are small tufts of light, unmoulted hair, are considered to be especially handsome. Skins with thicker hair are used for outerfrocks in the coldest period. The heavy winter skins are not used at all for clothing. The white belly, skin [pukᴇq] is used for decoration in the form of fringes, edging and insertion, whereas the glossy, close-haired skin of the legs is the best material for boot-legs and mittens, as the hair does not fall off so easily as a result of moisture; the extremely tough forehead skin is used for boot soles.
Among the Caribou Eskimos I have not seen marmot skin — mentioned by Turquetil as a dress material[1] — used for this purpose; but there are marmot frocks in the Thule collection from both the Netsilik and the Copper Eskimos, so that it is very probable that it has occassionally been used on the Barren Grounds. Hare skin is warmer than caribou skin, but not nearly so hard-wearing. Sealskin and, in particular, bearskin turn the water better; but the former is cold and the latter very heavy. Musk-ox skin is also extremely heavy and the long hair collects a lot of dirt. Dogskin, which is neither so light nor so warm as caribou, is excluded from use as a dress material owing to the aversion of the Eskimos to it.
- ↑ Turquetil 1926; 428.
