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High Arctic

National Museum of Natural History

Object Details

Local Number
HSFA 1978.1.1/1985.11.7
Collection Creator
Cotlow, Lewis, 1898-1987
See more items in
Lewis Cotlow films
Sponsor
Cataloging supported by Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee.
Extent
Film reels (1 hour, color sound; 2100 feet, 16mm)
Date
circa 1963
Archival Repository
Human Studies Film Archives
Type
Archival materials
Film reels
Collection Rights
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Scope and Contents
Edited film was made in the course of two expeditions to the Canadian Arctic region of Ellesmere Island, Jones Sound, and Baffin Island in 1962 and 1963. In focusing on the life of an extended Inuit "family," Cotlow attempts to portray the adaptation and survival strategies necessary in the frigid environment of the northern Arctic. Sequences focus on family life, relationships between family members, preparation and cooking of meals, a "trial marriage," transportation by dog sleds, building of an igloo, seal hunting with a teliwak hunting screen, walrus hunting, and killing of a polar bear. Other footage includes trading of fur pelts, target practice with both rifle and harpoon, soapstone carvings, making of caribou sinew thread and the sewing of parkas, and gift giving to the children by the filmmaker. Producer: Sinclar, Douglas Legacy Keywords: Language and culture ; Hunting techniques of seals polar bears ; Food quest hunting ; Food consumption seal meat ; Houses construction of igloos ; Hides used as bedding used as clothing ; Garb use of animal skins ; Nomadism Eskimoes ; Singing as palliative to work Eskimoes ; Work groups construction of igloos ; Play children Eskimoes ; Transportation dog sleds ; Trapping pelts ; Trade trapping pelts trading posts ; Carving soapstone Eskimos ; Marriage conventions of trial marriage Eskimos ; Sewing garb
Collection Restrictions
The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1633111215902-1633111215919-0
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pc91cfe1e26-ce74-4e95-9543-8a702c593a50

Related Content

  • Online Finding AidLewis Cotlow films

High Arctic, circa 1963, 1978.01.001-002, clip 1
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer
High Arctic, circa 1963, 1978.01.001-002, clip 2
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

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