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Description

Woman's inner coat, or parka, with a long tail, extended hood, and an elongated flap protruding from the hem at front; light tan colour. Fur inside. (Note: photo shows inner and outer coats together, A2.516-17.)

History Of Use

This style of clothing was in use among the Copper Inuit until the 1920’s. The absence of angular shaped white chest panels might indicate that the wearer had not yet reached adulthood. The enlarged back was used for carrying infants; wearing a belt would prevent the child from falling out. The elongated hood provided more space and air for the baby in the back pouch. The insulating capability of animal skins is enhanced by the practice of wearing two layers of skin clothing, especially in winter. One layer of clothing is worn with the fur on the inside and a second layer is worn with the fur on the outside, so as to minimize ingress of wind and cold. During winter men and women wear two hooded waist-length coats, two pairs of trousers, two pairs of stockings and boots, and mittens. While mass-produced clothing from the south is now commonly worn, the making of skin clothing was being revived. In the Arctic, the making of clothing is considered as important as the creation of sacred objects. Aside from its important function as protection against the cold, clothing is imbued with power and spirituality. Women as seamstresses play an extremely important role in the expression of cultural value and meaning. The clothing of each group is cut and decorated according to distinctive cultural aesthetics. In addition to expressing the group’s identity, makers express the beliefs and values of the group through clothing, which marks social identities like gender, age, childbearing status, and geographical origin. Skins collected in the late summer and early fall were ideal for clothing. Women worked feverishly to finish all clothing before their family moved out onto the sea ice, since it was forbidden to sew skins again until the sun reappeared above the horizon.

Narrative

Pierce donated this collection to the UBC Geology Museum in 1932, from which it transferred to the newly-opened Museum of Anthropology in 1948. Michell Pierce put together this collection of examples of Copper Inuit clothing and implements, while working in the area for the Hudson’s Bay Company. Before going to the area, he interviewed Dean Brock and M.Y. Williams about the possibility of collecting for UBC while there. This was the second collection he assembled, as the first was lost when the ship carrying the materials was caught in the ice.