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Stefansson
was the commander of the ambitious, multi-disciplinary
Canadian Arctic Expedition.
He was the leader of the Northern party.
Hundreds of artifacts collected under his name arrived in Ottawa, but
unfortunately without documentation or information on where or when
they were collected.
Among the collections he sent were many Copper Inuit implements
and utensils with designs similar to those collected by Jenness. Their
use can be determined on the basis of Jenness's report on the material
culture of the Copper Inuit.
Stefansson never returned to the Arctic. He became a celebrated
author and was honoured by polar and exploration societies worldwide.
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur
1913 – My Life with the Eskimo. New York: The
Macmillan Company.
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur
1919 – The Stefansson-Anderson Arctic Expedition.
Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History,
vol. XIV.
Toggle, 1914–1918
Copper Inuit, Nunavut
Bone, black colouring
1.5 x 6.8 x 1.3 cm
CMC IV-D-1515
Collected by Vilhjalmur Stefansson during the Canadian Arctic Expedition
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Toggles were used for many purposes, including for hauling seals
and serving as belt toggles. Jenness speculates that "many a
toggle that served for hauling seals during the winter months became
a belt toggle when the sealing season ended."* This toggle's
parallel lines recall the designs recurring in the tattoos on the
faces of Copper Inuit women.
*Diamond Jenness
1946 – The material Culture of the Copper Eskimo. Report
of the Canadian Arctic Expedition 1913-1918, vol. XVI, p. 50.
Bone Handle, 1916–1917
Copper Inuit, Nunavut
Antler, sealskin
11 x 2 cm
CMC IV-D-1588
Collected by Vilhjalmur Stefansson during the Canadian Arctic Expedition
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"This kind of handle served on occasion to carry any small
bundle but was principally used for carrying the head of the caribou,
or the bag containing its blood."* The inner part is grooved to
fit the fingers holding the bag, while the incised lines show a
repeated symmetrical design motif.
*Diamond Jenness
1946 – The material Culture of the Copper Eskimo. Report
of the Canadian Arctic Expedition 1913-1918, vol.XVI, p. 128.
Bone Handle, 1917
Walker Bay, Victoria Land, Victoria Island, Nunavut
Bone, cotton, black colouring
11.5 x 2.5 cm
CMC IV-D-1341
Collected by Vilhjalmur Stefansson during the Canadian Arctic Expedition
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A faint inscription on this handle can be deciphered as:
"...for blood bag...." Among the Copper Inuit,
stomachs of caribou were used as bags to carry blood. Hand grips such
as this were handles for these bags.* The incised lines follow the
pattern of the grooves made for a better grip.
*Vilhjalmur Stefansson
1919 – The Stefansson-Anderson Arctic Expedition.
Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History,
vol.XIV, p. 102.
Needle Case with Attachments, 1919–1917
Copper Inuit
Bone, sealskin, copper
Needle case: 45.5 x 3.5 cm
CMC IV-D-1571
Collected by Vilhjalmur Stefansson during the Canadian Arctic Expedition
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This shows a basic sewing kit for a Copper Inuit woman: the needle
case made out of caribou bone, a thimble out of leather, and a spatula
to hold in place the sealskin, which is the pin cushion for two
precious copper needles. At the opposite end of the sealskin is a
small toggle made out of the breastbone of a caribou.
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