Examining & identifying
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Using
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Waterproof stitching
2002
Examining & identifying
Neva Rivers: Arilluk. Maa-i makut qanaatellrenka arilluut.
(Waterproof fish skin mittens. These are the waterproof fish-skin mittens that I spoke of.)
Virginia Minock: Waterproof mittens.
Neva Rivers: Wangkuta piliaqamta unani teggevniarulluki nayiit tukulgitneng amiinricuitaput nayiit tukulgit makuciqnaluki. Allunga, allnga.
(When we make them down on the coast, we stabilize them with ring seal feet so we always skin them to use these for this purpose. Bottom part [palm area], patch. )
Joan Hamilton: In the Hooper Bay area, they used sealskin right here [palm area].
Neva Rivers: Seal flippers.
Joan Hamilton: Seal flippers, so they wouldn’t tear as easily.
Neva Rivers: Won’t wear out that fast.
Joan Hamilton: They used heavier fish that has thicker skin. Taryaqvauguq-qaa tamana, wallu-q [is this king salmon]?
John Phillip, Sr.: Makut-wa taryaqvalinraumillilriit. Mana tam’ taryaqvaunri, qaa?
(These are probably king salmon. This might not be king salmon, yes?)
Neva Rivers: Qavlunaneng wangkuta pitukut. Pilugugkiuraqameng taugaam, qemagvigkiuraqameng-llu taryaqvaaneng pituut.
(We call them silver salmon. When they are going to make skin boots or containers, they use king salmon.)
Using
John Phillip, Sr.: Mecungnanu-w’ tua atutukait makut wani. Wiinga qayalallemni wan’ tua-i uitaur, ready all the time for when it gets wet, stormy.
(They would use these here when it gets wet. When I used to travel in a kayak, it would be stored here, ready all the time for when it gets wet, stormy.)
Joan Hamilton: Augkut-llu nunam ukut ayuqenrilngut qanellruut tavani-gguq uitaravkarluki.
(The people from other places said that they would keep them stored there.)
John Phillip, Sr.: Ii-i, uitauralartut egmian teguqayunaqluteng.
(Yes, they kept them readily available so they can take them out as soon as they needed them.)
Joan Hamilton: Qayarrlainarmi-qaa makut aturlallruit?
(Were these only used in their kayaks?)
John Phillip, Sr.: No.
John Phillip, Sr.: No. Ayaulluki yuilqumi waten tumyaararkaugaqameng waten imkunek taluyartaqameng-ll’ imumi atul—malikluki pilallruit. Mecungnaunani.
(No. They would bring them to the wilderness to travel on paths to their traps, they would use—bring them along. They didn’t get wet.)
Joan Hamilton: Like situations where they’ll get wet, hands. Like working with dip nets.
John Phillip, Sr.: Tua-i-llu wani imarpigmi anuqliuquni, nutaan tau-i allukek qaspeg egenrarlukek ukuk wani cagnilluku nutaan mer’ iterngaunani.
(If it gets windy in the ocean, then you put the gut parka on and put these on and tie them tightly so water won’t get in.)
Joan Hamilton: These are really much warmer than any of the artificial material you use for protecting yourself from rain, from the elements. That gets cold. But if you wear these, you stay nice and warm. If it’s raining, bad weather or high seas, then you put this on and tighten them, and then you tighten your raincoat all around. And then you effectively become waterproof. So if you turn over, you can right yourself without getting wet or sinking.
John Phillip, Sr.: Grass-aneng iluit pingqerturatullrulruut waten.
(They always had grass liners inside them.)
Neva Rivers: Evegneng-ll’ iluiteng tegullerkamegteggun qamaggun man’a evegneng pingqetullruuq.
(We’d also use grass to put inside before we handled something.)
Joan Hamilton: And also, sometimes they put grass right here [palm area], so you can have some protection between what you’re handling and you.
Waterproof stitching
Aron Crowell: Are those sewn with sinew thread?
Joan Hamilton: Ivaluut-mi?
(What about sinew?)
John Phillip, Sr.: Yualunek-wa pilaqait tamakut. Tua-i ava-i kiingita yualukangqellruut.
(They used sinew for that. Back then that was their only thread.)
Joan Hamilton: Taperrnaneng-qaa aturyuitellallruut?
(Did they not use coarse seashore grass?)
Neva Rivers: Ivalungqerngatut taperrnaneng ayuurucirciqut tua.
(Maybe they have sinew and put coarse seashore grass for waterproofing.)
John Phillip, Sr.: Umcigluki cakneq. Mer’ iterngairulluku.
(They really waterproofed them. Water wouldn’t get in.)
Joan Hamilton: Ilumun [that is true]. They would not consider using rye-beach grass as thread, especially for these, because of the properties of grass. It’ll break.
Neva Rivers: Ivalurrlainarneng makut atutuut. Ivaluugut makut kelii. Taperrnaneng taugaam ayuurucirluteng.
(They only used sinew for this kind. The stitches are sinew. They used coarse seashore grass for waterproofing)
Joan Hamilton: And then they used the rye beach grass to make them waterproof.
Aron Crowell: Inside, like we talked about before?
Joan Hamilton: You can see it. Sinew and then anchored with that grass, to keep it waterproof Otherwise if you just use plain sinew, it might go through.
Neva Rivers: Waterproof-aneng pilaqameng ukatmun waten kelirturatuut. Natrirluteng tam-ll’ ayuurucirturluki taperrnanek.
(When they make waterproof clothing, they always made stitches like this. They sewed soles and then put coarse seashore grass for waterproofing.)
Joan Hamilton: When they’re sewing for any waterproofing purposes, they sew them the way she was demonstrating.
Waterproof fishskin mittens were traditionally worn for kayaking and sled driving. Edward Nelson reported that late 19th century Yup’ik residents of the lower Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers made mittens out of tanned salmon skin but that coastal Yupiit used seal skin for this purpose.
However, Elder Paul John of Nelson Island remembers that “the coastal people traded with inland people to get fish skin to make arilluut [fish-skin mittens] for their seal hunters. When seal hunters paddled in wet weather, they used their fish-skin mittens. The palms of the mittens were made of hair-seal skin or spotted-seal skin. When I started to go out, even in the winter, my parents always made sure I brought my fish-skin mittens with me, but they’d tell me not to get them wet. When these were lined with something, they were very warm and tight in cold weather.”
Woven grass liners went inside the mittens, for warmth and comfort. Salmon skin, which is durable, light, and water resistant, was also used for boots, bags, and parkas.
To prepare the skins, they were first soaked in urine, scraped clean, and then hung outside to freeze-dry in cold weather. The last step was to scrape off the scales.
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