AQUATICUS (JOHN G. SHEDD AQUARIUM, CHICAGO, IL, USA, 1994)

FROM CARD: "PADDLE 5 3/4" LONG TRANSFERRED BACK TO THE DIV. OF ETHNOLOGY FROM THE DIV. OF ENGINEERING, JANUARY 25, 1934." See Collins boat MS. p. 819.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/269 , retrieved 1-3-2020: Model of a kayak with prominent upturned ends that are distinctive of Inuvialuit kayaks. The frame is made from wood, and the cover is made from several pieces of hide stretched over the frame and stitched together. A seam running lengthwise on the deck has been stained with red ochre, and other lines made from red ochre may show how separate pieces of hide were joined on full size kayaks. Deck lashings made from braided sinew for holding hunting implements are attached fore and aft of the cockpit, and a lance holder made from bone or antler is attached near the front end. Two wooden implements are held by the foredeck lashings. These may represent sticks that were used to retrieve items stored inside the kayak. The model includes a paddle with a single blade that is decorated using charcoal and red ochre. More information here: http://www.inuvialuitlivinghistory.ca/item_types/32: Inuvialuit used lightweight kayaks for hunting whales and seals, setting and hauling fishnets, and spearing swimming caribou. The frames were made from driftwood, and skins of seals or beluga whales were used for covers. Inuvialuit kayaks had distinctive upturned stems that were useful for lifting them from the water. Full-sized kayaks would have been difficult to send to the Smithsonian Institution, and MacFarlane instead collected accurately made models.