The Interviews
There had always been a distribution system for the hunters which
depended upon the person that caught the walrus. This was applicable on
all walrus hunts no matter what kind of hunt they might have been involved
with. The ones that had made the kill would get the fore flipper section,
and the ones that did not make the kill would get the chest section. Those
who came in afterwards would get the hind flipper section. The hunters that
made the kill would get the areas that had more meat in them as their share
of the catch.
I also used to see hunters that had caught a bearded seal. There were times
when there were several hunters involved in the hunt. At other times there
were only small numbers invovled. In a situation where a bearded seal was
caught with a few hunters involved, there was a distribution system that
was practised. Once a kill was made and skinned, it would be divided up
and the meat would be used to feed the dogs or taken away as dog food. When
there were only two hunters involved in the kill, they would just take half
each. This also included the skin.
When a bearded seal's skin was going to be used, ....there were parts of
the body that had a specific purpose..... When the hunter needed to know
what was required to be made, the elders were consulted first, ...(to find
out).... what was needed before the skin was cut up. For instance, the hunter
might be told that they needed some skin that would be used for the soles
of footwear, and (other) parts of it would be cut up to make thongs with.
....When caribou hunting was done in the summer time by walking inland,
there was always a demand for a bearded seal skin that could be used as
insulators for the soles of footwear. So the UJA, which is the upper section
near the head in the neck area, would be cut for this purpose. At that time
they use to prefer that section to be the sole insulator for footwear.
The mid-section of the animals' skin was used for harpoon thongs. That is
just above the navel section, since this section is wider than the rest
of the body. We were taught that this section could be used for harpoon
thongs. The skin in the lower section is called MATIRTI. We were advised
that we could do anything as we pleased with this section of the skin, including
using it for traces or anything else that we see fit.
