"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.
12019-12-07T20:36:19+00:00Seal Drag6Seal Fish Charmplain2019-12-11T17:55:33+00:0064.4375, -165.006381880
uqsiutaq “seal drag”
seal: 8cm x 2cm x 2.3cm, cord: 25cm Ivory, animal skin cord
Cape Nome, Alaska (Iñupiaq), c.1889 Collector: E. W. Nelson Museum ID: NEL.C1.draf.0130
This object is termed a seal drag because it was used by hunters to pull the seals that they had harvested back to their village. A hunter would create a hole near the jaw of the animal and the strap of the drag would be pulled through and looped over the end piece. Then the hunter would tie a longer rope to the drag, allowing the carcass to be pulled either manually or by sled. The end piece is made of ivory and depicts a seal, which was a popular Iñupiaq charm that was fastened to both hunting tools and clothing. It was believed that the charm would aid in the hunt, bringing seals to the hunters and bringing those who wore it luck.
nassiŋuaq “pretend seal” 3.7cm x 1.5cm x 1.3cm Ivory Sledge Island, Alaska (Iñupiaq), c. 1880 Collector: E. W. Nelson Museum ID: NEL.C1.r.4601
This object was probably designed as a belt fastener. One end of the belt would be attached through a hole in the belly of the seal and the other end would be looped or wrapped around the seal fastener to keep the belt in place. The seal is wide, representing the health of a family through its well-fed stomach. Seal charms would have been used on a variety of clothing items and hunting paraphernalia because they were believed to help gain the cooperation of the animal spirits to aid in their capture and harvest.