The Interviews - Related Artwork from Cape Dorset Collection
Igloos that were to be occupied for a period of time were made large
and built to be heated easily. When the snow was too soft to cut sufficient
blocks, ice blocks were cut and people doing the work would do it co-operatively.
Some would cut blocks while others would haul the blocks to a location.
So when the weather was good, they would start the enclosure by standing
the ice blocks up. This area would be the entrace area of an igloo.
The setting up of these ice blocks were to suit all the requirements of
the camp occupants. There would be a number of these structures in one camp.
This was done when the snow was late. Once these were set, and the snow
was too soft to make blocks. The people would find a location where there
was an area where the snow was deeper, and then the people would begin stomping
on the soft snow to harden it.
There would be piles of snow placed in areas where the snow was too thin.
The packing of snow would continue until it covered a large area. When the
snow was packed to a point where one could walk on it, then the smoothing
of surface began. When they came upon an area that was soft it was packed
further by stomping until they started to outline areas where they would
cut blocks from. When an area was deemed to be too thin, more show was added
and packed by stomping, until finally they were satisfied.
The following day the men would take their snow knife and go to their prepared
snow field. Once there, starting from the edge they start cutting snow blocks.
The packed snow had hardened from the combination of stomp packing and freezing.
Our forefathers survived because they were prepared to live in this type
of environment with tools as crude as they may have been. After the blocks
had been cut, then they were put in place. Because the igloos were to be
used for an extended period of time it was important to build the igloo
as circular as possible so it could be built large. When igloos are to be
built larger it is important to complete a circular foundation.
Some foundations might be made in a rectangle but when it warms up it will
have a tendency to sag. This is if the ice crust has not formed on the interior
from the heat. This also applies to areas here there are sharp curves in
the foundation. This will also cause sags when weather heats up. So for
this reason, it is important to lay the foundation of an igloo in as circular
a shape as possible if it is planned to be used for an extended period of
time.
Once the igloo had been completed, and when the interior of an igloo had
formed a hard crust of ice without any sags it was certain that the igloo
could be used for a long time.
