Single hatch, in Aleut an íqyax’, wood frame, rawhide cover. 1 boat hook; 1 spear thrower; 1 double blade paddle with geometric design in blue paint; 4 harpoons with ivory foreshafts and points; 2 spears with chip flint projectile points. Wood frame of boat is painted red.
Donor:
Phoebe Apperson Hearst
Collection place:
Kotzebue Sound, Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
Verbatim coll. place:
Alaska
Culture or time period:
Kotzebue Sound Eskimo
Collector:
Charles L. Hall
Collection date:
ca. 1875
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Kayaks and Models (concepts)
Function:
1.4 Transportation
Accession date:
August 12, 1902
Context of use:
This is a Kotzebue sound kayak, which differs from other kayaks because of its sloped hatch and that its bow and stern are nearly identical. Otherwise the dimensions and materials are pretty normal. Unlike Aleut kayaks, North Alaskan kayaks are not particularly seaworthy as they were primarily used for seal hunting right off of the shore, but they were used for whaling occasionally to frighten whales to the shore, where they were speared. They could efficiently tow a whale to shore, something umiaks couldn’t do as well. Kayaks also had a notable spiritual connotation in North Alaska, charms were often brought onboard. Additionally, owning a kayak meant one could lead a comfortable life, without one a former owner could die.
Department:
Native US and Canada (except California)
Dimensions:
length 69 centimeters
Comment:
References: cf. Adney and Chapelle, p. 201, fig. 186 for Kotzebue Sound Kayaks. cf. 2-6349, blueprint in Zimmerly, David W. "Qajaq: Kayaks of Siberia and Alaska." (1986).