The Interviews
Q. When did you learn to make kamiks?
A. I don't remember how old I was when I learned how to make my first pair
of kamiks, but it was in the winter time. We only work on skin kamiks at
that time. My first pair had seal skin soles. I don't think they looked
nice but no-one told me they looked awful, so since then I have been making
make my own. It was long before I was married.
Q. How did you start to help out in making kamiks?
A. We would help to soften the soles. I was so young at the time I don't
know how old I would have been when I started to help out in softening.
It was our choice to start. We would offer to do so. The KIILIQ, chewing
the skin tightly in lines very close together sideways and then lengthwise
is a first stage of softening the skin. Once that first stage is done the
soles are soaked in oil, then you would start ANGULA, by rolling it first
and then chewing it until it is soft. We would be allowed to chew on the
soles. In the spring time when we were going for walks (PISUJUK) we would
take soles to chew while we were walking.
Q. Did you soften the skins for upper part of the kamiks too?
A. When we started to chew on the seal skin for upper part of the kamik,
we would start from the middle of the skin. These skins were KIAKTAQ, which
had the hair removed by putting it in hot water. Then we would soften the
rest from the middle and out toward the edge it would take a while but it
would be done.
.......from another interview:
Q. Did the soles wear out easily?
A. We were so used to this that they did not seem to wear out easily. The
soles were all made of bearded seals. We were so used to using Kamiks that
this was just part of the work.
EN: When we were going to work on the sole skin (ALAKSAQ), it would be dampened
with water then stored beneath bedding to prevent it from drying out. So
when a sole wore out, it would be only a matter of getting the prepared
skin and sewing over the existing sole.
TI: It did not appear to be hard work as it was just another task to be
completed. In the autumn we would start making new footwear which would
be the type that would not freeze easily.
EN; The people that had prepared us for the summer camp would also get us
to bring the skins that we would need to make Kamik(s) in the autumn.
It was survivable as it was part of our life.
EN; Once we had returned to the littoral we would have to make new kamiks.
