Eskimo
Esquimau, pl. Esquimaux - An Indian of any of the tribes inhabiting arctic America and Greenland. The term originally designated the aboriginal inhabitants of Labrador. (Webster, 1882)
The Eskimo are a tribe of peoples who inhabit the Arctic coastal regions of Alaska and Canada ,and parts of Greenland and northeast Siberia. In modern times, Eskimo is often perceived as a derogatory term, based on the etymology of the word as meaning "eaters of raw meat." While Inuit (or Innuit in Laura's day) may be an acceptable alternative to Eskimo, it applies only to the Inuit-speaking peoples of Canada and Greenland. In parts of Alaska and Arctic Serbia, Inuit is not spoken. The term Eskimo is inclusive of the Inuit of Greenland and Canada, the Yupik of Siberia, Russia, and Alaska, and the Alutiiq of south-central Alaska. In addition to language, there are cultural and ethnic differences between the Inuit and Yupik.
Mary and Laura Ingalls mention Eskimos, igloos, and raw fish while on one of their fresh-air outings during a break in the blizzards of the Hard Winter. They may have learned about Esquimaux - the accepted spelling at the time - from Pa's big green animal book, The Polar and Tropical Worlds: A Description of Man and Nature. Eskimos are featured exclusively in more than one chapter, including information on the eskimos' consumption of raw fish and how to construct an igloo. One chapter includes portions of Charles Francis Hall's Arctic Researches, and Life Among the Eskimaux, quoted at left.
igloo
Hall's description of the construction of a snow hut or igloo, built by the Innuits near Wager Bay, about fifty miles south of the Arctic Circle, is as follows:
After making trial of several banks of snow, by plunging in their long knives, on finding the proper compactness, they cut blocks two to two and a half feet in length and about eighteen inches in thickness. One set is cut from the spot on which the igloo is to be built, its floor being thus sunken eighteen inches below the general surface. In placing the blocks around this excavation, of about ten feet diameter, the first tier is made up of those which, by increasing regularly in width, form a spiral from right to left. They are laid from within, each being secured by a bevel on the one last laid and another bevel on the next one below. The joints are well broken. The blocks incline inwardly, thus regularly diminishing the diameter of the igloo and fitting it for the dome or keystone. Thirty-eight blocks were used. For ventilation, a small hole is usually made by the spear. The crevices are well-filled with snow within and without, making it nearly an air-tight structure. For a window, a small opening cut in the dome is filled in usually with a block of clear ice; in some cases with the scraped inner linings of the seal; this last makes a light on which the frost does not settle as upon the ice-blocks. The passage-way to the igloo is always long and points toward the south. The Repulse bay natives shovel up much more snow upon the hut than the Greenlanders do. The igloo lamp is sometimes nothing more than a flat stone, about six inches in length, places in a niche cut out of the wall, and having on it a little dry moss for a wick, which is supplied with oil by a slice of blubber from the bear or the seal. A stone lamp of better form, although poor enough, will give something of a fair light and warmth. — Charles Francis Hall. "Igloo." The American Naturalist (May 1880), 334-335.
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ABOVE: The Eskimo of Greenland and a village of snow houses or igloos, from the time of the "Little House"® stories. |
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Jamie's eyes were scarcely open when a wild whoop from Charley showed that he had discovered the snow. He peeped through the blind with a sleepy yawn, and sure enough, everything was hushed under a beautiful soft white coverlet. Jamie was broad enough awake in an instant, and was dressed so quickly that Charley was obliged to run out after him with his boots unbuttoned, or else have Jamie get the first dip into the fresh, cool whiteness. Then they washed their faces until they were as red as the ruddiest winter apple. "Oh, let's play Esquimaux," cried Charley, for their mother had read them Dr. Haye's polar stories. It was with difficulty they could eat any breakfast, so intent were they upon getting out. It was not very cold, and even if it had been, they were hardy little fellows, and would not have minded it. They discussed the best plan for building a hut,– for they intended to have a real snow house,– and decided upon first making a wigwam with sticks. That they would cover with a rug or piece of carpet, and upon that heap the snow. They could not find just the things they would have liked, but they got long sticks, designed to be cut into kindlings, stood them up right, and over this they spread a piece of canvas which had been used to wrap about furniture. It was a long time before they could get the sticks to stand where they wanted them to. As fast as the boys put one up, another would fall down. Then they began to heap snow upon it, each taking his turn at staying inside to keep it from falling, while the other toiled outside. At last it presented quite a respectable likeness to an Esquimau hut, and then, nothing would do but they must have the baby out to help to enjoy it. In her little white cloak and hood she would be just the inhabitant for such a house. The baby, who was two years old, was very fat and clumsy, especially with her wrappings and leggings on. But they put her on a sled and drew her to the door of the hut, and then all three crawled inside.
The boys caught the weight of the fall, and, after the shock, they crawled out with shrieks of laughter, and their eyes blinded with snow. nanny was frightened and inclined to cry, but with the noisy help of the boys was soon taken out from the pile of sticks and the wet snow. Then, since the roof had fallen in, and they no longer had any house, they could think of nothing better to do than to jump upon the roof. This they id, rolling and tumbling over and over in the snow; Nanny having her share of the fun, laughing and crowing, and not minding if the boys were rather rough. If mamma had seen her little girl, she would have taken her in at once; but the boys kept on playing with her, and throwing snowballs at each other, until they were tired out. Nanny was a very wet little lady when she entered the house, and had to have dry clothing on throughout, while Jamie and Charley decided among themselves that the next time they played Esquimaux they would leave Miss Nanny with her doll.
— Miss Clara Doty Bates, The Youth's Companion (January 15, 1880), 23. Laura Ingalls may have read this story in her youth. |
Playing Esquimaux.
Nanny crowed with delight, but would neither sit down, nor do anything just as they wanted her to, and the result was that before they had time to even begin to play, down came the whole thing upon their heads.
Eskimo (TLW 16)
igloo (TLW 16)
