"Growing Goodness": An Alaska Native Collection at Oberlin CollegeMain MenuMission Statement and Project ContributorsObject GalleryClick on the object title for more informationLife HistoryMapYup'ik Materials and SubsistenceIntroduction page for the Raw Materials and Subsistence chapterVirtual 3D Exhibit
Object 8
12019-12-11T17:48:39+00:00Alaina Helm707f7d845b33dec30c77d3f91278c0fd43eb2f4c111Here’s what Dr. Rosemary Ahtuangaruak has to say!plain2019-12-11T17:48:39+00:00Alaina Helm707f7d845b33dec30c77d3f91278c0fd43eb2f4c
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12019-12-13T20:19:28+00:00Seal Charm7Ivory, belt buckle, charcoal, weightplain2020-05-29T14:36:41+00:00 3.8 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm Ivory
Ayaak (Sledge Island), Alaska (Iñupiaq), c.1880 Collector: E. W. Nelson Museum ID number: NEL.C1.r.0140
This charm is made out of a seal tooth and decorated with charcoal fires. It could have been used to add weight to a fishhook or it could have also been used as a good luck charm worn as a decorative piece, such as a belt buckle. In either case, the fishhook or the belt would have gone through the hole in the belly of the seal, and then the other end of the belt or hook would have been wrapped around the seal to stay in place. The prevalence of seal charms in the Smithsonian collections and in the Oberlin collection indicate seal charms were common.