Model of 2-hatch kayak, ulluxtadaq. Made of skin with wood parts: 2 bird spears, 2 sails, 2 double paddles, 3 paddles, 2 harpoons, boat hook, spear thrower.
Donor:
Phoebe Apperson Hearst
Collection place:
Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Verbatim coll. place:
Aleutian Islands
Culture or time period:
Aleut
Collector:
Charles L. Hall
Collection date:
ca. 1865
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Kayaks and Models (concepts)
Function:
1.4 Transportation and 5.7 Objects made for sale, souvenirs, models, and reproductions
Accession date:
August 12, 1902
Context of use:
This is a model of a double hatched Aleut kayak. Waters surrounding the Aleutian Islands hosted a thriving ecosystem including seals, sea otters, and fish that was so integral to Aleutian cuisine. The average full-sized kayak was about 17.5 feet long but were tailored to one’s body size. Black spruce and yellow cedar made up the framework and seal skin binded with sinew made up the cover. They are noted among other Native Alaskan kayaks for their lightweightedness and efficiency, travelling through the treacherous and open waters with ease. Righting and repairing kayaks was easy as one often had sea mammal stomach on hand, along with other cargo, stored in the spacious interior. Aleut general name: bajdara → bajdarka (байдарка), Russified with the -ка being a diminutive suffix in reference to a larger and traditionally open boat (no hatches) specifically made of skin like an umiak. Three-hatched kayaks were not introduced until Russian contact when firearms were introduced and could capsize a boat.