Arctic Hunters (1944)

[Music] far beyond the tree line and the Perpetual ice and snow the not in existence by hunting and fishing long ago they left their homes in Siberia and wandered across into the Canadian Arctic their only business is the preservation of life in this Bleak region the gentle Eskimos in their incessant struggle against their harsh severe habitat are a perfect example of adjustment to environment these people of the Hudson Bay Country live chiefly on the fish and mammals of the sea they hunt in their kayaks and little motorboats in the short summer and with dog sleds in The Long Winter months when the sea becomes an endless field of ice after the winter Igloo have melted and the summer tents have been pitched the Open Sea Calls the hunters in the brief weeks of Summer they used the little seal skin canoe called the kayak to skim over the water among the drifting ice Flows In pursuit of seals and other sea animals the B and Island ER like all Eskimo Hunters has Ingenuity and invention he pursues his game with caution and cleverness and usually with great success he looks frail against the elements yet he's master of his severe world and acknowledges no Superior getting nearer and nearer the hunter hears the strange grunting of his quar the seal with the Advent of the Hudson's Bay Company and other Traders from the outside world the Arctic Hunter has learned the use of the telescope and the rifle even with the aid of the rifle the Harpoon is still necessary for although the animal is killed by white man's weapon it must be harpooned or it would sink and be lost the seal comes up to breathe for only a brief moment the hunter must have great skill to get his prey natur the seal is the main stay of life for these people for un Generations Eskimo man has harpooned seals for the family food food and clothing without the seal what would these baffan Islanders do for Paras and Boots seal skin covers their kayaks too the whips so necessary for the dog teams in Winter are made from strips of seal skin and the harpoons must have long cords of seal skin attached to the floats a vitally important animal the seal [Music] [Music] you [Music] as the summer days begin to shorten preparations are made for the annual walrus hunt of the early fall this seal skin will make a splendid float for the Harpoon for this purpose the seal skin is not cut down the middle but is carefully drawn over the body with no openings except at head and feet [Music] no matter how large or how small the rewards of the hunt there is always the duty of sharing with the whole group communalism is the rule hoarding by the individual could not be encouraged in a land where there is so little to go around living next door to the North Pole the Eskimo Wander from hunting ground to hunting ground and although hardship is their lot they're always jovial hospitable and generous even in periods of great want the dogs rush in to fight over the tiny scraps that are left the Hunter kerak and his brothers have been very successful in trapping white foxes and can afford a 38t Peter head with sails and an auxiliary engine the iolc people of Southampton Island are fortunate to live near islands where large walrus herds are found they sail across the stormy Hudson's Bay to coats Island where they can get enough walrus in one week to supply the needs of their families for months to come everyone prepares for The Hunt The Walrus may appear at any moment the floats are infl ated the Harpoon lines of seal skin are softened by chewing and the harpoons are tested the Harpoon is the eskimo's chief hunting weapon it is constructed so that when the animal is hit the Harpoon head slips off and remains fixed in the wound while the released shaft floats on the water where it can be picked up iic walus ahead the Rocky island bristles with hundreds of them at first faint Roars are heard like an angry sea soon the Peter head is surrounded on all sides by walrus roaring like angry elephants Brown bodies slide and struggle over each other fighting to gain the water the big bull leader waits till the whole herd is in the water before he too slides in walrus hunting in Canadian Waters is now forbidden to white men for wus is an essential food of the eskimos long white tusks gleam in the sunlight and make excellent targets a moment before these creatures had been serenely sleeping sunning themselves on the rocky islands and sandy beaches the gray brown Beach which had seemed deserted come sharply to life the water is a churning mass of dark brown bodies wild Clippers and flashing tusks everyone forgets the rocks and reefs that endanger the boat in the excitement of the hunt kerak calmly wields the harpoon its long line of seal skins streaming out over the water the hunters work in pairs one man with a rifle the other with a harpoon when the walrus is stopped by the rifle it must be harpooned immediately before it sinks Like a Rock to the Bottom of the Sea Time After Time the shaft strikes home the wounded animal turn savagely rearing High out of the water the inflated seal skin floats bobbing on the surface Mark the victims after the excitement and din of The Hunt The Herd heads out to see and at last the challenging Roars and Bellows of fear are silent a gigantic old bull tried to save himself by climbing on onto the Rocks his tough hide has patches of russed brown hair and countless smoothly healed scars from the battles of many mating Seasons the hardest job is the beaching and cutting up of the catch the bulky animals are towed into shallow water waiting for the low tide then everyone must work frantically to finish cutting up the meat before the tide comes in and covers the bodies the tusks are preserved for Harpoon heads the waves are Crimson with blood literally the Red Sea for a day kerak and his brothers build a can of rocks and put away some of the meat to freeze for winter time later they can return by dog sled and eat the Frozen flesh the remainder they carry back to their families on Southampton Island they take great care of the cargo every pound means life itself for their wives and babies back home the Mounds of meat are put on board such a hunting ground seven walrus all the small crab could carry the whole gets a bit crowded serving as part paror kitchen and bedroom for the crew of six Eskimos and at the same time storage plant for seven Great walrus bodies on the return Journey the men in High Spirits exuberant and happy after the tension and hard work of the past few hours they enjoy the raw WRA meet and discuss the success of the hunt back in the settlement the annual visit of the nascop the supply boat of the Hudson Bay Company has attracted Eskimos from far and near to trade for the next year's needs in ammunition tea and sugar in the little encampment of tupc or skin tents more than 50 people have been waiting for this moment the return of the hunters with walrus meat Schooner time is very short in Hudson's Bay and soon the ice will return for long months of Arctic night a tiny fire of rare and precious Driftwood is built to Stew the meat for the feast although usually it's eaten raw and their favorite morsel is the great heart of the animal they are grateful for the bright calm cold weather that made the unpredictable Hudson's Bay peaceful for the brief few days necessary for a successful hunt eagerly the women join in the feast on the return of the hunters it's been many moons since they tasted walrus meat carving off chunk after chunk they laugh and talk and eat all at once dressed in last Winter's clothes some of the women have Parkers of caraboo or seal skin others are wearing old Calico dresses from the Hudson Bay Trading Post in the winter everyone both men and women wears fur pants and seal skin puckers an inner one with a fur next to the body an outer one with a fur outside to shed the rain and snow but it's summer now and they wear the inner Parker only as protection against the Chilly Winds after the feasting come singing and dancing while the young men were away old evalu and Billy Boy made a fine drum for the feast [Music] the drum is made by stretching the skin of the Caribou over a large narrow band of wood or whalebone it is played by striking the wooden frame rather than by beating the skin drum head [Music] [Music] one by one the old men dance and sing full of good food the eskimos singing and drumming and dancing forget the struggles and Sorrows of the long harsh winter just passed and soon to return again okay