Kuskowagamiut Riverine Eskimos

Agenda• Return papers• Rodeo• Attendence• Seminole Visit

– Publicity

– Food

– Activities

• Kusowagamiut Eskimos

• Reports 12:30– Robert

– Krista

– Ailbee

• Begin Kwakiutl book

People, Population, and Language

• Yuit people

• 1986 5500 people

• Speak Central Yupik– Other languages, Pacific Gulf and Siberian

First Contact

• 1819 Russian Beaver Trade

• 1866 Russians leave because of pending Alaskan Purchase by US

Origin Myth

• Raven makes the land to have a place to rest

• Land is dark so he finds sun and drags it to land. Fall off becomes stars.

• Creates plants and animals to make land better and spirits prosper.

Land

• Built houses where they had ready access to resources– Salmon

• Subterranean housing

Conveyences

• Two forms of transportation – Summer for life around waterways

• Kayaks

• Umiak

– Winter easier• sleds

• snowshoes

Gender Roles

• Women’s domain in home – Responsibility

• processing food

• child care

• clothing

• gathering

• Men hunt– fish

– fowl

– mammals

Kinship

• Matrilocal residence

• Ambilineal descent

• Eskimo terminology

• Shamans – sororal polygamy

Subsistence

• Enculturation to gender roles

• Why?

• Men hunt– fish

• Salmon

– fowl

– mammals• Bearskin for trade

• Carpenters in building season (summer)

Appearance

• Physical characteristics– genetically similar to

Asian populations– epicanthic fold*– shovel shaped incisor*

• Bergman’s rule– short, round, long torso*

• *adaptive to environment

• Cultural Adaptation– waterproof hides

– fur on inside for insulation

• Thermoregulation– hides allow ventilation

– loose fitting

• women carry babies on back in hood

Supernaturalism

• Shamans– usually men

– apprenticed

– diagnose, predict, and cure

– Aids: drumming, singing, and magic

– if person died might be accused of witchcraft

• Witchcraft – antisocial

• Ceremonies– Great Ceremony for

the Dead

– free the souls for eternal rest in the sky

Recent Religion

• Russian Orthodox introduced in 1950s

• helping other people in need

• soul to hell if not baptized or suicide

• ghost of dead returns to community--icons prevent return

• Syncretism– Blending of two

religions