Sharing
Bearded Seal
Bearded
seals occur in much lower numbers than ringed seals, but they
are always sought after because of their importance in the
domestic economy. Due to the superior strength and durability
of their skins, they are preferred for kamik soles, harpoon
lines, dog traces, and rope. The meat is also consumed by
Inuit and their dogs.
"Traditionally,
whoever caught a bearded seal got to keep certain parts of
the seal. The hunter kept the ribs from the right side, while
the heart and vertebrae were shared by the women. Today bearded
seals are shared differently depending upon how many hunters
are involved in the hunt."
"If
one person shoots the animal and two other help, then the
shooter gets all the skin for kamiks and each of the helpers
gets one rope donut each--only two donuts would be cut if
only two helpers. If there were four helpers, four donuts
would by cut. Donuts are cut from the area immediately behind
the front flippers. The rest of the bottom half of the seal
is cut by making one slice from the last donut to the tail.
This is used for kamiks. On the head portion, the skin is
cut from one flipper around the nose to the other flipper.
This skin is used for kamiks."
Sharing
Walrus
Walrus
have always been extremely important in the Inuit economy.
The meat is considered to be the finest dog food available,
a team can be driven further on walrus meat than on any other
type of meat. The meat continues to be used for dog food and
is also relished by many of the elders, especially aged meat.
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The
ivory was extremely important in the past for the production
of tools, and is still a valuable item in the carving industry.
Walrus are dangerous to hunt and considered by many hunters
to be even more menacing than polar bears. Not all hunters
will attempt to kill walrus, especially if they are in a small
boat.
"When
a walrus was killed in the past the women ate the vertebrae,
while the men ate the heart and head. Today men and women
sometimes eat the same pieces, it is changing away from the
past."
"When
a walrus was captured, the man who harpooned the walrus kept
the right side of the carcass for his family. If the hunter
had someone assisting him on the kill, the assistant received
the left half of the carcass. If there were other hunters
involved in the kill, the posterior end of the walrus was
cut off and divided among the other hunters."
"When
my dad gets a walrus everyone goes, they don't have to phone,
they just go and ask for food. This doesn't happen with sea
lift or other types of food orders. If we run out of tea,
sugar, bannock, we borrow it from our neighbours. Relatives
take food if it is brought in on a sea lift, people share
with their relatives. I know some Inuit who buy food and ship
it up on the sea lift. They have to be able to save their
money to place the order and share the food with their relatives."
Sharing
Whales
Narwhal
and beluga inhabit the north Baffin region; in the south Baffin
region beluga are more prevalent. In the past narwhal and
beluga meat was dried and eaten by the Inuit and their dogs;
now usually only a few Inuit, primarily elders, enjoy the
dried meat.
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Muktuk,
whale skin with some of the blubber attached, has always been
considered an Inuit delicacy and it remains highly sought
after by young and old alike.
"In
Dorset women eat the beluga still, men eat all of the muktuk,
in Dorset and Lake Harbour beluga meat is eaten but not in
Coral Harbour. Dorset people enjoy the meat dried."
"Whale
meat is eaten by the elders, the meat is covered with muktuk
and aged, it is not sold aged at the HTA."
Sharing
Polar Bear
Among
the Inuit, successful bear hunters were considered to be highly
skilled. The meat was eaten by the Inuit in the past and continues
to be consumed. In the past, polar bear skins were used primarily
for bedding skins, occasionally they were made into clothing.
In recent times polar bear skins have been sold to southerners
and have provided significant income to the domestic economy.
The value of the skins varies drastically from year to year,
as it does with all fur bearers.
"In
the past, a successful bear hunter in the Arctic Bay area
kept the skin and the meat from the shoulder, and rump, the
rest of the bear meat was shared amongst the other camp families."
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