Subject: umialik sea hunter
Culture: Tagiugmiut / North Alaskan Sea Eskimo
Setting: tribal warfare, northwestern Alaska 1850-1920
Object: weapons
Atlatl
* McNab 2010 p85
"Spears held an equal significance [as bows and arrows] to the tribes of the far north, as they were integral to hunting large coastal or tundra animals such as caribou, seals, whales, deer and moose (plus humans, of course). While the atlatl spear thrower ... may have had limited use in the woods of eastern North America, in the subarctic and Arctic zones it was an essential tool of hunting and warfare."
* Stone 1934 p579
"The Eskimo spear throwers are considerably more elaborate [than Australian ones]. They have ivory points to fit in the notch at the end of the spear, or projecting points, to fit in holes in it. The handle ends are quite complicated, being carved to fit the fingers and often have a hole for the thumb. The Eskimo requires a good and secure hold as he, and all of his belongings, are usually greasy, and his hands and spear thrower are generally wet and slippery. The carved handle gives and excellent hold."
* Carnegie Museum of Natural History > Polar World: Wyckoff Hall of Arctic Life
"BIRD SPEAR AND THROWING BOARD As great flocks of waterfowl migrated north in the spring, some Eskimos hunted them from kayaks using the bird spear and throwing board. The bird spear had a number of barbed prongs attached to the center of its shaft which provided a wider striking area than did a single point. The wings, necks, and feet of the struck waterfowl became wedged into these prongs, and several birds could be caught with one throw. The end of the bird spear fit into the groove of the throwing board, and, when the spear was propelled by the board, its velocity and range were generally increased."
Ax
*
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Club
* Stone 1934 p615
"TIGLUN. An ivory club six or seven inches long, pointed at one end. It is grasped in the hand like a dagger and used for striking blows, and is one of the very few weapons made solely for fighting by the Eskimo of Point Barrow." [reference omitted]
