| The Inuit
used to make all of their clothing from animal skins and furs which provided excellent
protection from the arctic environment. The Inuit word for boots is "kamiks."
Today many Inuit women still make kamiks for their families, just as they have
been doing for thousands of years. Inuit women take a lot of pride in their
sewing skills. Properly sewn clothing can mean a matter of life or death in the
frigid arctic. Not many Inuit men make their own clothes, however they often carry
a small sewing kit on hunting trips for emergency repairs. In the far north,
nothing works better than sealskin for footwear because it is both waterproof
and very warm. Sealskin is a natural material, so it breathes allowing sweat to
escape through tiny pores in the material. This means that condensation does not
build up inside sealskin unlike in rubber or plastic boots that you buy in a store.
Damp feet get cold fast and can freeze, so it's no wonder that hunters in the
far north would rather wear sealskin boots. |
| This
Inuit-style doll was made by Elisapee Inukpuk of Inukjuak, Quebec. She is dressed
in a traditional outfit, complete with kamiks. Her
doll is an example of Inuit soapstone carving, grass weaving, sewing, and artistic
design. | |  |
