Parka coat made from sealskin. Hood is edged with wolf or dog fur.
To provide warm and waterproof clothing for the Inuit people leading a traditional life in the Arctic circle area. This parka/anorak was made for a child. How is it used?
A single fur parka/anorak was worn in summer time and two were worn in winter. In winter the inner jacket was worn with the fur next to the skin and the top jacket with the fur on the outside to make it waterproof. This created a layer of air between the two for insulation.
Who is it used by and why them?
Inuit people leading a traditional hunting life in the Arctic circle area. Men women and children all wore these loose fitting hooded jackets, although the design was different for men and women. Made from animal skins, they provided excellent protection from the cold and wet. Without this protection life in the Arctic circle would have been impossible.
nuit is used as a name for indigenous peoples who live within the Arctic circle. Inuits live in Canada, Alaska and Greenland and so have different nationalities. Although they share a common culture few of them now live a completely traditional lifestyle.
In the past they were living in very isolated places and so they had to be totally self sufficient, relying on land and sea animals, driftwood and soapstone to provide all their needs.
Both men and women wore parka (anorak) jackets made from animal skin but the woman's jacket called 'amouti' was longer, with flaps at the front and back. As women spent much of their time sitting to prepare food and make clothing, the long back flap was used as a sort of cushion. The woman's jacket also differed from the man's because it had a larger hood to protect the baby, carried on her back, against the cold wind. Men, who spent most of their time hunting had shorter jackets for easier movement and the hoods were tighter fitting so as not to block their field of view. Boots, called kamik, were made from dressed skin which means that all the fur had been scraped off. At the coldest time of year Inuits wore two layers of clothing: the inside layer was worn with the fur against their skin and the outer layer with the fur on the outside. This also included their boots and mittens.
