Eskimo mother with child
odd: label: Local Numbers
content: OPPS NEG.3106 D 68
label: Local Note
content: Black and white copy negative
name: label: Creator
content: Nupok, Florence
creator: label: Creator
content: Nupok, Florence
culture: label: Culture
content: Eskimos
label: Culture
content: Arctic peoples
label: Culture
content: Indians of North America -- Subarctic
setName: label: See more items in
content: Bureau of American Ethnology negatives
label: See more items in
content: Bureau of American Ethnology negatives / Additional Materials / Nupok, Florence
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Made during the winter (1927-1928) at her camp at North East Cape.

Florence Nupok is now Florence Malewotkuk, according to Dorothy Ray, 1968.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Photograph (3 1/2x5 in)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1927-1928
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographs
bibliography: label: Bibliography
content: A number of these drawings were used as decorative motifs and were published without captions in O. W. Geist, and F. G. Rainey, "Archaeological Excavations at Kukulik, St Lawrence Island, Alaska," Miscellaneous Publications of the University of Alaska, Volume II, Washington, GPO, 1936, 391 pages.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Series of sketches drawn from life by Florence Nupok, a full blood St Lawrence Island Eskimo woman. 93 sketches (numbers are listed on each drawing).

This illustrates the usual manner in which youngsters are carried on mother's shoulders. In different sections of Alaska the method of carrying children varies. This is the Siberian and St Lawrence Island method. The child's garments are made of reindeer fawnskin with the hair inside. The large fur collar around the neck is of dog fur. The cap is separate from the other clothes and is made of fur seal, land otter, or similar rich fur. During the early life of the baby this cap usually contains a portion of the dried umbilical cord cut and put aside for this purpose by the attending midwife, who may be any one of the of the old women of experience about the village. This is kept under the cap until the suture on the top of the head is healed over when this charm, which is sewed into a small package of sealskin, is worn by the mother on her neck string. Frequently barren women on the Island borrow these charms from the women who have successfully borne children in the hope that they too may bring children into the family.

This series of sketches was made by Florence Nupok, a full blooded St Lawrence Island married Eskimo woman, aged about 19, during the winter of 1927-8 at her camp at N. East Cape. I purchased the sketches because they were drawn from life and because they show so nicely the usual every day life of the St Lawrence Island Eskimo. The sketches are worth the money expended for them and I doubt that an other set is in existence made by a native on the spot as these were. It is almost impossible for a white person to do any sketching in the houses or homes of these natives as they will not stand for it under any condition, unless one is fortunate enough to be taken into their tribe. I shall of course try to obtain photographs where ever possible. I shall ask Nupok again to continue this work for me, and I think she will. I trust that the idea meets with your approval. In a few years all St Lawrence Island Eskimos will live in frame houses -- five were built last year -- four this year (1928) and the old customs will go the long trail and be forgotten. Modern kitchen ranges, stoves, coal oil heaters, and so on are replacing the famous and serviceable seal oil lamps, enamel pans, dishes, the old driftwood bowls and platters; aluminum tea kettles are replacing the good old Russian "Samovars", etc. Clothing is about the only thing that they cling to and for a very good reason, which is that the white man's clothing is not yet good enough to keep out the terrible winter's cold and for that reason, I too, adopt the native clothes, the only kind which is good enough to keep one warm. I shall list the sketches by numbers and will give the remarks...