Eskimo Ice Fishing

When the Eskimos went ice fishing they had a box and a rod. Inside the box was bait, knife, rod and string. The type bait was the Eskimos used was always live bait so the fish would come. When they used live bait, it was mostly worms. If you were smart you would check to make sure the ice was strong enough to walk on so you would not fall in. As the Eskimo would wait for there fish to come up they would sit on the box so they did not get cold. Also so they did not go through the ice as easy. Most of the time when the Eskimos went ice fishing they would sit there for hours and wait a bit and try to not let it got. Most Eskimos went ice fishing by themselves so if they went under not a lot of people would hear them. When spring came they did not dare to walk on the ice. Eskimo ice fishing would also include several different concepts, like the hunting of seals and sea lions for their oil and fur, and also the exploitation of these animals to capture fish. Seals and sea lions are left free but harnessed and their throats bound with cord. When they swam underwater to catch fish, the cords would prevent them from swallowing their catch. The actual Eskimo ice fishing practice is really no different from today’s methods, chipping a hole in the ice and putting the lure through. Eskimo fishermen would catch all the fish they can, stringing unconsumed fish and drying them in the sun. They would salt these fishes and store them over periods as long as a year.

hunting

e Eskimos had many ways for hunting.The animal that the Eskimos hunted the most was the whale for there mouth, blubber and bone.Eskimo were great hunters. When the Eskimos went fishing they would cut a hole on the ice and sit on the box. As they wait they sit quietly and wait for the fish to come and bit on the bait. When they went hunting fir walrus and seal they died seal and walrus was to heavy for the Eskimos to carry so they would have the dogs carry them on the sled. The Eskimos had many hunting techniques for hunting. They could sit for hours without success. It required a lot of skill and patience. You had to be very quick to be able to do this. A fisherman must act quickly to catch it when a fish swims into view. Eskimos also usually caught Arctic char and Arctic trout. In spring when the seals were out on the ice. Eskimos would hide behind fabric sheets to stalk the seals. They used spears to hunt the seals. THe way the Eskimos got walrus and seal is they would go out in the kayaks. Somehow they would not flip and lose the seal.

weapons

The Eskimos had many weapons. They used Spears to stab animals. They also used something called a Bola. The Bola was a weapon used by aboriginal people throughout America in the past. Those in the south made their Bolas from many local materials. The Inuit made theirs from bone and sinew. The Bola was whirled overhead and thrown at animals’ legs to tangle it up. This prevented an animal from escaping. The caribou is a good example of an animal the Inuit would use the Bola for. It is no longer used for hunting, but it still has a use. Sometimes the Gauchos (another tribe) use it to herd cattle. The more respect that went into crafting the knife, harpoon-head or other weapon, the more successful the hunter would be. The hunter could also trick animals or subdue them by enlisting spiritual aid. He made his weapons from materials familiar and comforting to his prey, and he called on spirit-helpers by decorating his hunting equipment with images of his quarry's natural predators. This imparted the predator's strength, power, or swiftness to the hunter or his weapons.

shelter

The Eskimos had a few ways of make houses for the seasons. When they made things to sleep in they made tents. In the summer they make tents because of the weather was warmer. In the winter they would use sod houses, which are igloo. A sod was made out of ice and snow to make a warm spot in the sod house. The sod house kept them very warm in the winter when it was in the negatives. A tent kept them cooler in the summer when it was hotter out and the was not much snow on the ground. The tent was made of skin. Any animal that they killed became a peace of cloth or something to make tents. In the winter the Eskimos lived in sod house on the sea ice in winter they hunted seals and walruses. In autumn, Inuit caught large numbers of fish; and fish and meat were dried in preparation for the winter months. Plants and bird eggs gathered in the warmer months supplemented a diet of meat and fish. When spring arrived, Inuit moved off the sea ice and dispersed in to smaller family groups. They traveled to inland hunting grounds where there were caribou, muskoxen and fish. Summer life was more nomadic with tents and other belongings carried on their backs and their dogs.

Transpertation

The Eskimo people have many ways to travel the icy lands. The Eskimos used dogs for transportation. The type of dog the native used in the artic are Husky. The was a strong dog that would pull a sled about 20 mph with. The way they traveled with the dogs and they would attach them to the sled and hook the dogs together and the mushier would stand on the back of the sled and try not to fall off and because the sleds were pulled by dogs they could go over ice and snow. These sled that could stand up in any weather were made of wood that was build of trees. There were many other ways to build sleds they would use whale mouth and animal bone. As the Eskimo left and came back they left landmarks to help them find where they are. They would leave landmarks like tree marking. Like with a knife they would make a line. Bushes they would cut a branch and then leave and find it again. On long trips the dogs became pack animals and would carry all the heavy stuff. All the died food, bait and supplies was in the dogs back. When the Eskimos where lost and it was night they would look up at the sky and look at the stars. So if they wanted to go north and they were lost they would find the North Star. Then they would know every direction and the compass rose.