Clothing Traditional Eskimo

Hello, My name is David, I live in a tiny whaling village 200 miles above the Arctic circle in a village of only 750 Inupiaq Eskimos. Point Hope Alaska.
The oldest continually inhabited settlement or village in all of North America.
Life can accurately be traced back some 3,000 years, to this one spot of land.

I am originally from Boston Mass. I moved to Alaska to work on the Trans - Alaska Pipeline in 1977. I fell in love with the Arctic and Alaska needless to say, when I had to return to Boston, I cried, I didn't want to leave, In 1981 I returned to Alaska. I was working in Anchorage as an electrican in the I.B.E.W , I was sent to this village for just three weeks, when the job finished, I quit the company and stayed, that was 27 years ago. I am still here.

Come learn from the comfort of your home or office the Eskimo way of living, High in the Arctic, Eskimo!





Aaka & Aapa - Grandmother & Grandfather - Lilly & Donald Oktollik

Donald was a Whaling Captain and an Episcopal minister, in his day.

Lets go out to the ocean ice, Currently at this very moment over 600 people are camped 7 miles out on the Chukchi Sea in the Bering Strait of upper Alaska.
Hundreds of people are involved blazing a traill with pick's axe's all types of tools to manually smoooth out a way to transport all the equipment and supplies out to the edge of the ice where the lead opens for the animals to migrate.



This seven mile journey will take many hours, it is a very rough ride, and I was convinced beyond all shadow of doubt that all the lenses would be cracked from the constant falling and bashing of the sled against the ocean ice when we went over little hills. the snow mobile would go over smoothly but the sled would rise as high as four feet in the air at times and come crashing down.

This is a typical whaling camp 7 miles out it is mid may and this is midnight. By the end of June, 12 noon is the same as 12 midnight! It will not get dark again till the end of August.



This is home, for the next two months, We hunt, sleep , eat, right here, 24/7 no matter what the weather, except if the wind shifts, which it often does, but generally we have a very strong wind needed to crack that ice open for the animals to pass through, we are here before they arrive and we wait, sometimes weeks, we are ready. We sleep outside by the edge of the ice, no tents, 30 - 60 below zero with vicious winds non -stop.

Due to the 24 hour constant sunlight and the incredibly bright reflections all around, we become solar powered and can easily stay awake and alert for 3 days or longer. When your tired, just sit down on that sled that is covered with caribou skins and lean back, close your eyes and rest, in just a few hours time, you will be all charged up again for another 3 days or longer.

this is the most exciting time of the year. The suspense is all over the place and everyone is acting like it is The night before Christmas !




This is how we go food shopping! Each whaling crew has 8 hunters, one boyer, and 3-5 women in the back. 1/2 3/4 a mile back from the lead opening on much safer ice. The women do all the cooking in the tents. they have a boyer to help them with other chores. He stays in the tent area and works most of the day.
At night when the women go to sleep, He is alone, all night long, by himself, keeping the home made wood stove fired up just right, He has to chop wood, keep that fire going all night long, hand him your lighter, or matches, he will need them, He must use "sicpan" to help wet wood burn, this is extremely flammable seal oil, his other duties include melting snow for cleaning cups, thermoses and melting ice for delicous fresh drinking water to make coffee, tea, and hot chocolate and fill those thermoses and bring them down to the lead opening. lHe is armed with many rifles, and must keep a viglant eye on the wind and keep watching and checking for cracks in the ice, Anything can happen out here.
your in good hands, lie down and go to sleep, He will make sure everything is ok.. hand him that lighter and matches and go to sleep This boyer, is only 3 years old !

I am shocked, astonished at what I see happening out here. 3 years old and that kind of responsiblility ? go figure ! I have seen many boyers this young! and it is just the most amazing thing, to see these childlike grownups working !



When the cooks wake up in the moring, he has coffee, tea, all ready for them! all dishes are cleaned and ready to go for aonther busy day, He is now allowed to go to sleep in the tent, iagainst the back wall in the left corner. lhe will be allowed to sleep about 4-5 hours then he is up again helping the women ..

How do you suppose we get delicious fresh drinking water way out here in the middle of frozen no where, full of salt water and frozen ocean ice.? We melt snow for washing dishes and such. but for cooking and drinking we want / need delicious fresh drinking water.

We use Eskimo Technology to get the salt out of the frozen ice. how ? any ideas ?

I will be back for more, soon after "dinner" burp !

The Swedish National Costume

1983 - THE YEAR SWEDEN ESTABLISHED A NATIONAL DAY AND A NATIONAL COSTUME.
On the 6th of June 1983, Sweden celebrated its first National Day and on the same day a Swedish National Costume was introduced, modeled by Queen Silvia. Actually in existence since the 1900's, the costume was not accepted as National Costume until then.

At the turn of the century, a young horticulture student by the name af Märta Palme came to Tullgarn Castle to study the gardens there. The castle was occupied by the Crown Princess Victoria, who had just moved from Germany to Sweden. The Princess very soon joined the Nationalist movement in Sweden and in accordance with its beliefs, she introduced folk costumes to be worn by the female staff and herself. Märta Palme wore a version of the costume that belonged to the region of Vingåker-Österåker in the province of Södermanland.

Märta eventually married the royal gardener's son and moved with him to the province of Dalarna as Mrs. Märta Jörgensen.
Spurred by her newly awakened interest in folk costumes, Märta and some other women formed a Swedish Woman's National Costume Association in 1902. Section one of its by-laws states: "The purpose of the association is to bring about a liberation from the domination of foreign fashion among Swedish women through the introduction of a more common use of national costumes".
The national

 costumes has its origin in the folk or peasant costume. Fairly isolated by natural borders and bad roads, districts and parishes could preserve the local flair of the costumes. Used for every day wear and festivities, the costumes became uniforms of equality.

     During the middle of the 19th century, free enterprise and industrialization brought changes to the countryside, and the influx of new things eventually brought about the disappearance of the use of folk costumes. At the very end of of the same century, a wave of National Romanticism flowed trough Sweden, and once again the interest in folk costumes was rekindled. Its use spread beyond the ranks of the peasants and in regions where previously no costumes existed, new ones were created.
In 1903, Märta Jörgensen had finished a costume she envisioned as the costume for all of Sweden. She described it in a series of articles in the magazine Idun, and in regards to the color scheme of the costume she explains: "We need strong colors in the peasant costume. They have an invigorating effect on our senses - and they are necessary as contrast to the deep, green pine forest and the cold, white snow".

In spite of her neutrality, Sweden was heavily affected by the first World War. The National Romanticist frenzy cooled down and the Swedish Costume fell into oblivion, although Märta Jörgensen wore it until her death in 1967. She did not live to experience the awakened interest in folk costumes that started in the 1970's, nor did she live to see her dream fulfilled - the wish to have her costume accepted as the official National Costume. It took exactly 80 years from the time Märta Jörgensen created it for it to be acknowledged as the Swedish National Costume.

Japanese Traditional Clothing

The way the people in Japan traditionally dress has been a topic of interest for a long time. With a different type of kimono for each occasion, be it formal or casual, the traditional attire of Japan is extremely fascinating. The Japanese kimono and the yukata are two of the most commonly worn garments in the country. Here is a compilation of the varied pieces and accessories that go with the kimono.



 

Kimono (kuh-moh-nuh)

A kimono is a full-length robe made of silk, worn by both men and women. While men have a simple black or brown-colored kimono, there are different designs of this for women. Traditionally, an unmarried woman wears a furisode (swinging sleeves) kimono, which has long sleeves (110 cm in length). Out of the 9 to 10 different styles of kimonos, a woman chooses one depending on various factors, such as her age and marital status, type and color of the garment used, its symbolism, and the sort of occasion. During winter, kimonos made of woolen fabric are worn more often. For funerals, a black kimono is worn by both sexes.

Yukata (yoo-kah-tah)

The yukata is also a part of Japanese traditional clothing, and can be considered as a casual version of the kimono. People generally wear a yukata after bathing, which is a common sight at traditional Japanese inns. These garments are meant to cool the body, are made from fabrics like cotton.

Nagajuban (naa-ga-JOO-ban)

This is a robe that takes the shape of a kimono, and is worn underneath it. Kimonos are usually made of silk, and because they are difficult to clean, a nagajuban is worn to avoid contact between the silk and ones skin. Only the edges of the nagajuban collar are visible from outside the main garment, that is, the kimono. Often, the collar of the nagajuban is covered or wrapped with a haneri for decorative and/or cleanliness purpose.

Haori (HOU-ree)

The haori is a loose-fitting, coat-like, knee-length garment. This formal-looking coat was originally worn only by men, but nowadays, it has become popular among women too. It is lightweight and generally used as a coat to keep the kimono clean.

Haori himo (HOU-ree, HEE-moh)

The haori himo is a kind of tie-up, usually a woven string, which holds the haori together. The formal color of this tie-up is white.

Hakama (ha-KAH-mah)

The hakama is a wide-pleated, ankle-length skirt. It has 7 pleats in all, 5 on the front and 2 at the back. These skirts are always worn over a kimono and can be divided (umanori) or undivided (andon bakama). Traditionally, a hakama is tied around the waist, and over the obi (sash), with ribbons. In ancient times, the hakama was worn by the Samurais so that opponents would not be able to see their footwork. Today, both sexes wear this outfit, but in the earlier days, the hakama was worn only by men.

Tabi (tah-bee)

Tabi are actually traditional Japanese socks worn by men as well as women. They are generally ankle-high, and have a separation between the big toe and the rest of the toes (divided-toe socks). The jika-tabi is often worn by workmen, since these are made of a durable material.

Zori (ZAWR-ee)

This forms a major part of Japanese traditional clothing, often worn with the kimono. Zori are open-toe sandals that are described best as slip-ons or flip-flops. They are made of leather or cloth, and can be used for both formal and informal occasions.

Obi (oh-bee, aw-bee)

The obi was worn with many types of traditional clothing, such as the kimono. This is a kind of sash that is used by both sexes. It can conceal several other sashes that are worn beneath. Obis can be tied with various knots (musubi), each having a definite meaning. In the olden days, the knots were believed to keep evil spirits away. One can also see the obi worn with martial-art uniforms. The color of the obi denotes the rank of the individual.

Obiage (oh-bee-ah-gee)

A pillow called obimakura is used to support the knot of the obi. An obiage is a piece of clothing that covers the obimakura. The obiage is significant in knowing the marital status of a woman. An unmarried woman always makes sure the obiage she wears is visible to others; as opposed to a married woman who hides it semi-discretely.

Obijime (oh-bee-JEE-may)

The obijime is a string which is tied into a knot on the obi. The string can be made from different materials such as silk, satin, or can even be woven. Generally, an obi is around 150 - 160 cm in length, with a different knot and material used for each occasion. Obidome are adornments placed over the obijime for decoration. Usually, whenever an obijime and obidome are opted for together, a thinner and flatter obijime is used. The usual ones are available in varied widths and lengths.

Kanzashi (kaan-za-shee)

Worn usually by women, this is a kind of hairpin that is used to hold a woman's hairdo in place. The appearance, nature and color of this hair ornament changes in accordance to the month or season of the year. It is usually sported by geishas and maikos, since they wear it more often.

Japanese clothing is known for its highly-detailed work, given a woman's marital status and position in the concerned society. Even a minute flaw in the arrangement or choice of clothing is considered to be an insult or a mark of disrespect.