Eskimo Children (1941)

on the Barron island of nunc off the Alaskan Coast it is the morning of a Brisk September day all is quiet along the shore where the boats of esimo villagers lie beached above the tide and there is stillness over the village where the round of activity has yet to begin but in this little dwelling dug partly into the Earth One member of the household is already at her tasks mother busies herself just now trimming a seal oil lamp she must see that the lamp Burns brightly for the house has no wind windows and lamps are the only source of light asleep on a wooden platform nearby are the children of the household yalan and her sister analo okomi and his older brother seuk and little baby sister in the center father too is still asleep presently all will have to get up for breakfast will soon be ready mother has begun to prepare the fish that will be the main part of the meal but before he is ready for breakfast father also has tasks to perform putting on his coat or parker of many bird skins he is warmly dressed for the weather outside and now entering the narrow passageway that leads out to the doorway he mounts the steps to the ground level above the floor of the house rounding the entrance tunnel he climbs to the low roof of Earth that covers the mound shaped dwelling formed of sod and wood he must see what kind of weather is in store carefully he scans clouds and Sky WEA will largely determine his activities for the day meanwhile inside the dwelling the children are getting dressed before they put on their boots they prepare the paths of grass that form an inner lining to help keep their feet dry and warm the hood for the head is made of skins with a fringe of long fur now it is time for everyone to gather around the breakfast table and here as in every phase of life in the little Eskimo dwelling there is much crowding to together for the family group includes grandpa and grandma too seal oil is ever on hand to be eaten with the fish and neither ever loses its appeal finding a choice morsel mother hands it across to a nalo the eskimos show deep affection for their children and so the breakfast of food gathered from the sea starts the daily round with breakfast over mother and analo make a trip to a new on the tundra here they obtain fresh water for the household and today analo has a special reason for wanting an extra pale of water of her own back in the village across the wide stretches of grassy Tundra there is someone she wishes to visit a little friend who is ill and since the father of her friend has said that water will do her good little analo has felt that she could help and so to her friend in her sickness she brings a cup of water helpfulness is a constant practice among both Eskimo children and grown-ups meanwhile father and cook are busy on another venture having set out their fish nets they have paddled their seal skin kayak to the shore across the bay nearby is another village where the family lives in the summer and today a special errand requires a visit walking along the shore they spy a piece of Driftwood but someone else has claimed it by taking it from the water precious as all wood is here on the treeless Island this is left alone it belongs to another ah but here before them another prize has drifted in and this has not been claimed good material here for any number of uses part of the frame of a kayak perhaps or a new utensil for the home a happy find in any case and now having set the wood aside to be taken home upon their return Father and Son proceed to the dwelling the family use in the summer in the recent move to the winter village some supplies were left behind including a full container of seal oil that will be needed when present supplies are gone just as obtaining food is a major task for the men work on handmade clothing takes much of the time of the women here yalin and analo along with grandmother and mother busily ply their needles repairs have to be made on the hoods of Paras that will be in constant use during the cold months ahead grandmother works on a Parker made of the skins of birds while yalin is intent on fashioning a waterproof boot sole made of seal skin andalo young as she is is already learning the delicate skills all Eskimo women must know here where clothing has long been made out of materials fashioned by hand all women folk must be train TR in Needle work and the men too have handicraft skills of their own today grandfather sits in the kajim OR Village Meeting House carving an ivory ornament from a piece of walrus tusk many older men work at carving but of all the tasks of the villagers none are more important than those that are concerned with the food supply having put their sewing aside mother and yalin are cleaning a catch of fish father and brother have caught nearby along the shore stand the racks where the fish are hung to dry and to the strings of Clean Fish already hanging on the racks mother adds those that she and yalan have prepared drying the fish in this way helps to preserve them and fish are the family's staff of life but not all that these Eskimos use comes from the sea and the tundra The Village includes a Trader store and here grandmother offers a handwoven basket in exchange for some needles she wishes to obtain and this product of a far-off world is only one of many the trader has to offer there are canned goods of various kinds Woolen blankets and Yard Goods Calico for dresses flashlights Hardware household implements skis and much to the Delight of analo the trader also has a supply of good stick candy yes through the trader store the eskimos have contact with a world they have never seen and now with the trading completed there is time for other diversions an agal runs to join a game of Ring Around a Rosie the game is very popular and nalo and her friends play it often along with games like London Bridge and Blind Man's buff for the boys bows and arrows offer popular sports but practice with the target isn't entirely play as SEO takes careful aim before he speeds his Arrow toward the homemade Target he is learning a valuable skill that he will often need practice in play trains him for serious work with the bird Spear and throw throwing board used in hunting games it is a skill learned as a boy that father calls upon today spying a water foul he seizes his Spear and deafly hurls it toward the bird that has failed to sense his approach the spear carefully aimed has found its Mark as a skillful fisherman and Hunter father provides Apple food for the family summer winter in the evening as mother prepares another meal the bird that father is killed hangs in Readiness perhaps baby sister knows that there will be something special on the table tonight and there is something special later too a community dance in the kajim to the steady Rhythm of the drums played by Village musicians father performs a tribal dance but he is not alone anal look and baby sister also try some steps much to the amusement of the crowd yes they laugh the eskimos A Worn friendly ly they laugh and they dance when the tasks of the day are over the long evening passes with Carefree enjoyment of friendship and dancing and music in the community house here in the Eskimo Village on the remote island of nunivak off the Alaskan Coast