High Arctic
odd: label: Local Number
content: HSFA 1978.1.1/1985.11.7
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Cotlow, Lewis, 1898-1987
setName: label: See more items in
content: Lewis Cotlow films
physdesc: label: Extent
content: Film reels (1 hour, color sound; 2100 feet, 16mm)
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1963
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Human Studies Film Archives
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Film reels
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: 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