Examining & explaining
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Beads
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Design
2002
Examining & explaining
John Phillip, Sr.: Waten-wa tua Nunivaarmiut qarlingqerturalalriit.
(The people of Nunivak always designs like this.)
Neva Rivers: Nunivaarmiut kenugnertuut.
(The people of Nunivak groom themselves a lot.)
Joan Hamilton: Nunivaarmuit-qaa taugaam? Wangkuta-mi?
(Only the people of Nunivak? What about us?)
Neva Rivers: Hooper Bay-mi carrarmeng uggun.
(At Hooper Bay, a little one here—one, two [one or two labrets beneath lower lip with hanging bead strands].)
John Phillip, Sr.: Ukatmun aturyarauluni wii tangllemni wani-wa.
Ukuk wani elaqliulutek.
(The way I see them they are to be used like this. These two will be worn on the outside [ends in each ear, beads strands hanging beneath chin].)
Neva Rivers: Iqataneng makut apraqait. Iqataq makut nuveviit.
(They called these [rectangular ivory pieces between bead strands] iqatat [separators]. Iqatat, you thread these [with bead strands].)
Joan Hamilton: Kiirrmeng-q’ arnat makucinek aturlallruut? Wallu-q’ angutet aturyumaluki?
(Only women wore these? Or were men able to wear them?)
John Phillip, Sr.: Angutnek tangeqsaitua makucinek arnanek taugaam.
(I never saw men only women using them.)
Neva Rivers: Arnat taugaam.
(Only women.)
Beads
Joan Hamilton: Russian-armiuneng-qaa makut piluki?
(Did they get them from the Russians?)
Virginia Minock: Trade.
Joan Hamilton: Kassalugpianeng taugaam?
(Only from Russians?)
Neva Rivers: Yes.
Virginia Minock: Taukut tamaa-i qumilget.
(Those are the beads with something inside them.)
Neva Rivers: Qumilget [beads with something inside them]. Red outside and white inside.
Joan Hamilton: There’s some beads with the different colors on the inside.
Design
Joan Hamilton: Maybe this [front of earring hook] has, you know the design, the way it is, has some kind or significance. The shape is the same as those other earrings, so, it’s not by accident.
Neva Rivers: Iingunganatek.
(They seem to be eyes.)
Joan Hamilton: Have you heard anything about that shape?
Ann Fienup-Riordan: Sometimes they call it “eye of awareness.” Some of them do.
Joan Hamilton: Niiteqallruten ellam iinganeng?
(Have you ever heard of an eye of awareness?)
Neva Rivers: Tangvaaratuniluta-wa camun pitullrukaitkut.
(They would tell us that something or someone would be watching us.)
Joan Hamilton: Uum qukani cangqerta?
(What is in the middle of this?)
Neva Rivers: Bead-auyugnarquq.
(Maybe it’s a bead.)
Joan Hamilton: Qamna un’a tungulria. Qaill ellillruat-ggu qamavet?
(The one inside that is black. How did they put it inside?)
John Phillips, Sr.: Ukiqaarluku engelqaqsagutaqaata ellia. Yuurraarluku elliqalarait tamakut.
(After they drill a hole then they fit it with inlay. After they remove it they put them in.)
Yup’ik Elder Annie Blue of Togiak gave the name agluirutet for earrings that are connected with strands of beads. This set was collected on Nunivak Island in 1927.
Yup’ik and Cup’ik women, especially those living in villages south of the lower Yukon River, wore earrings, necklaces, and labrets (lip ornaments) in a wide variety of designs that combined glass trade beads with walrus ivory hooks and fasteners. Men also wore labrets and earrings. Beaded jewelry was part of the regalia that people wore during ceremonies and dances.
On Nunivak Island, women pierced young girls’ ears using a rolled up piece of tin, then inserted braided caribou hair or an ivory pin to keep the holes from closing. Men pierced boys’ ears, using the stone tip of a drill.
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