Inuit Fashions Today
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Woman's parka; made by Emily Nipishna Alerk, Baker Lake, Northwest Territories, 1993; cotton cloth and thread. CMC IV-C-5557 With the movement of some Copper and Caribou Inuit into settled communities, their clothing choices today reflect a changing lifestyle. Most people now live, work, and go to school in modern heated buildings, reducing the need for warm skin clothing for daily survival. For everyday wear, Copper and Caribou Inuit usually dress in imported, ready-made clothing. |
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Boy's outer parka; made by Alice Anabiak, Read Island, Northwest Territories, 1992; caribou skin, sinew. CMC IV-D-2212 For some men and women, hunting, trapping, and fishing remain important activities. When travelling in winter, they usually take skin garments on the snowmobile for additional protection. |
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Woman's parka and shell; made by Blandine Makpah, Rankin Inlet, Northwest Territories, 1994; duffle, felt, cotton cloth, fox fur, cotton and embroidery thread. CMC IV-C-5562 Seamstresses continue to make clothing based on traditional styles for social occasions, such as community events and drum dances. Combining southern-style clothing with traditional garments produces a look that is distinctively Inuit. |
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Girl's Mother Hubbard with "budgoods" (mittens); made by Elva Pigalak, Coppermine, Northwest Territories, 1992; caribou skin, cotton fabric, wool, wolf and wolverine fur, rickrack, bias tape, cotton thread, sinew. CMC IV-D-2213 a,b "I sew more slowly now that I have arthritis. Sometimes it is really hard to sew, and other people have to help me scrape the skin. This set of budgoods and Mother Hubbard is made with a caribou-skin liner and a fabric cover. The braided yarn mitten strings stop children from losing their mittens."
Elva Pigalak; personal communication to Jill Oakes, 1993 |
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