Notes

Source of the information below: Inuvialuit Pitqusiit Inuuniarutait: Inuvialuit Living History, The MacFarlane Collection website, by the Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre (ICRC), Inuvik, N.W.T., Canada (website credits here http://www.inuvialuitlivinghistory.ca/posts/12 ), entry on this artifact http://www.inuvialuitlivinghistory.ca/items/168 , retrieved 1-27-2020: Throwing board made from a long, thin piece of wood. A wide, shallow bed for a projectile has been cut lengthwise into the top surface near one edge. One end on the opposite side has been cut at an angle, and along the adjacent edge there are three shallow notches. A crescent-shaped bed has been cut into the board between the notches and the long groove, and next to this bed is a large circular hole. These features allowed the throwing board to be securely gripped when in use. More information here: http://www.inuvialuitlivinghistory.ca/item_types/56: Throwing boards were used to propel harpoons and darts when hunting from a kayak. The shaft of a hunting implement was placed in a groove in the upper surface of the throwing board, resting against a lip of the groove or a knob at one end, and held by the hand at the other end. The hunter propelled the harpoon or dart in an overhand motion. The throwing board acted as an extension of the arm, and gave added power and accuracy to the throw.