This object is on loan to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, from 2010 through 2027.
Source of the information below: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge website, by Aron Crowell, entry on this artifact https://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=353 , retrieved 1-6-2022; see web page for additional information: Boots, Inupiaq. These waterproof boots have uppers made of sealskin dyed with alder bark; tops and straps made of winter-bleached seal; and soles made from young bearded seal hide. The soles were chewed to soften the leather. Children traditionally wore this type of boot for Nalukataq, the "blanket toss" festival held to celebrate successful spring whaling. This is a child's pair of short sealskin boots, with bearded seal soles. Winter-bleached seal skin was used around the tops and for the straps. Iñupiaq women traditionally made a variety of boot styles, using materials and techniques that suited different seasons and conditions. Bearded seal was the most common material for soles, although walrus hide, beluga skin and (rarely) polar bear could also be employed. Boot soles were tanned using two different processes. When only the hair was scraped off the sole was dark-colored, waterproof and durable, as on the pair pictured here. This type of sole, with some bristles left on the outside surface, was also excellent for use on sea ice because it prevented slipping. For some boot bottoms, the epidermis (outer layer of skin) was removed. The resulting white to yellowish-brown skin was preferred for dress boots and dry snow conditions. Waterproof boots were designed for wet ground, rainy summer weather, and boating. Some were short, like this pair, while others reached the knee. Some were hip-length to wear in deeper water while hunting or fishing. "Black" seal skin, often used for the upper parts of waterproof boots (including this pair), was tanned so as not to remove the epidermis and natural oils, leaving the skin dark and water-repellant. Seal oil was applied to maintain its waterproof quality. Boot makers used a small knife with a half moon-shaped blade - an ulu, also called a "woman's knife," or an uluraaq [woman's small knife] - to cut skins. No pattern or measuring tools were needed, only hand measurements. Sinew thread was used, usually from caribou. Boot soles have pleated edges, often referred to as crimping. Women folded up the edges, crimped them with a special tool, and sewed through each crimp to attach the sole to the boot. Along the North Alaska coast, women used their teeth for crimping. Boot makers in the Barrow area added a round piece of sealskin (hair on) to the heel to prevent slipping.
