3-D Artforms Inuit Soapstone Sculptures Mr. Faltinoski

THE INUIT PEOPLE The Inuit are not strictly speaking, one group, rather they are numerous widely spread groups with varying regional artistic differences linked by a similar language and spirituality. The ancestors of contemporary Inuits migrated from northern Asia across a land bridge that existed at various times between present day Russia and Alaska. The first group was thought to have migrated around 40,000 years ago, a second around 25,000 years ago and finally about 10,000 years ago a group who are considered the orig- inators of the Inuit culture arrived. The first distinct cultural group appeared about 4 000 years ago and are called the Dorsets because evidence of their existence has been found around Cape Dorset. Generally, they had basic stone weapons, sleds without dog teams and simple arti- facts. The group who replaced the Dorest culture around 1500 AD was the Thule culture, and because of their more advanced skill development which included ivory and bone weapons, dog sleds, seal skin kayaks and umiaks they became the dominant group. The Arctic climate is the most inhospitable in the world for people to live, and it is a credit to the ingenuity of the Inuit and their ancestors that they have survived and adapted to the environmental rig- ors. Temperatures in winter can drop below -50 degrees and darkness or near darkness will last up to four months, while in the tundra only a few small hardy plants and lichen survive. With animals, birds and fish the main sources of food, the Inuit through necessity evolved as nomadic hunter-gatherers dependent entirely on what food the land offered. There are thirteen district groups that make up the Inuit; Siberian, North Alaskan, Mackenzie, Copper, Peninsular, Caribou, Netsilik, Igloolik, Labrador, Polar, North Baffin, West Greenland and Angmagssalik, each having slightly different artistic styles. Because the Inuit diet was almost entirely meat, animals have played a vitally important part in all aspects of their lives. Depending where groups lived and the particular season, Inuits could hunt such animals as Polar Bears, Walrus, seals, Caribou, Musk-oxen, Arctic Hares, whales, Cod, Salmon, Narwhal, Guillemuts, ducks, gulls or geese, which provided food, clothing, tents, bones and ivory for tools, weapons and art objects. Virtually everything from an animal was used for something. The Inuit usually lived in small close family groups and had a large summer gathering of clans for feasts, celebrations and swopping of stories. Drumming, dancing and traditional legends as well as games for both children and adults were important features of their lives. Contact with Europeans, first with Vikings in Greenland around 500 AD then by whalers and explor- ers from the 18th century, have had a profound effect on the ability of the Inuit to maintain their tradi- tional lifestyles. However, since the late 1940's, art has provided an opportunity for the Inuit to revive, maintain or create anew many aspects of their culture, including their deep affinity with Arctic animals, myths and spiritual beliefs. It has also enabled individuals and communities to develop commercial arrangements which have been economically beneficial.

SPIRITUAL BELIEFS Although the religious or social purposes behind ancient Inuit art are obscure it is known that their spiritual beliefs were very similar to animism which is frequently found among indigenous hunter/gath- erer populations. To the Inuit, spirits of the once living, inhabited animals, objects and forces, and if they did not follow particular rituals these spirits would punish them. It was important therefore to maintain harmony between themselves and their environment. An offer of a drink to a dead animal would, for example please its spirit, and since the spirit of a seal lived in its bladder this would be returned to the sea through a special ritual. As in most ancient cultures of this kind, each Inuit group had a shaman, in many places called Angekok, who had the power to communicate with the spirits through traditional ceremonies to seek help with such things as successful hunts, favorable weather or curing the sick. Two important Inuit spirits were Sila who was always present, watching and controlling many things and Sedna, the goddess who lived at the bottom of the sea controlling seals, whales and other sea crea- tures. Both ancient and contemporary Inuit sculpture, as well as prints and drawings after the 1940s, often convey spiritual ideas in their imagery derived from both individual artists' interpretations of Inuit beliefs or from legends and stories. Their reverence and respect for the animals they hunted is always strongly apparent in their art. Amulets made from owls' claws, wolf bones or bird skulls were worn to give strength or wisdom on particular occasions as were necklaces of small ivory carvings of people, objects and animals. Wooden dance masks were also an important part of ceremonies which included dances, drumming, chants and songs. The Inuit sometimes carved a small tubular sculpture which functioned as a spiritual weapon called a Tupilak. This was an ugly mythical creature intended by the user to carry out a task against another. It was however risky to use, as it could backfire on the individual using it.

ART AND CRAFTS Traditionally the Inuit relied on what the environment could provide when making weapons, utensils, art objects, clothing and other constructions. Since their Arctic home had a scarcity of timber and the ground most often snow covered, rocky or frozen, there was not an abundance of materials or a wide range of methods available for the creating of art, utilitarian or architectural objects that would be at hand to many other similar cultures in less serve regions. Sculptures carved from ivory, bone, antler or driftwood are the most common form of art that have been found and are rarely more than a few centimeters tall. This was due to their need to be portable and the unavail- ability of suitable materials for larger forms. The most common subject matter are animals such as whales, bears or seals and people, and these were either tool or weapon parts, pieces from children's games or personal ornamentation. It is thought however that the carvings served a more spiritual purpose for the individual or group. Some of the earliest carvings found in Siberia and Alaska indicate Asiatic origins and perhaps links with southern Russia with their sensitive line and facial features. With these (dated around 300 BC) the human figure is the subject with almost no animal representations. The sculpture of the Alaskan Ipiulak culture (c.0 AD - 500 AD) demonstrates more animal forms and is strong on pat- terning and decorative ornamentation, while the Dorset cul- ture which reached its prime around 1500 AD shows more naturalistic figures (often with large heads and small bodies) and a wide use of parallel and oblique lines, chevrons and crosses. The most dominant of the ancient Inuit peoples however were the Thules who eventually absorbed the Dorests to become the immediate predecessors of modern Inuits. Thule art displays more sophisti- cation in both variety and style than the art of previous groups although much of their sculpture being ornamental parts of utilitarian objects. These utensils includ- ed buttons, combs, snow goggles, needle cases and pins carved into representations of animals such as seals, bears or fish. A large amount of Thule art consists of decorative figu- rative designs incised into everyday tools and weapons, along with small animal and human carvings. After contact with European sailors and traders which began mid 1700's the Inuit began to carve scrimshaw in the style of whalers, combining their traditional designs with western imagery. Contact with European whalers around 1850 stimulated new graphic ideas including illustration, such as seen on ivory carved pipes,which were incised with figures, animals and scenes, then rubbed with charred seal grease to accentuate the design. It was during this period of trade, that the inuit first began carving soapstone.

WHAT IS SOAPSTONE? Soapstone, also known as steatite, is a metamorphic rock . It tends to be a very soft rock, and is therefore easily worked into forms such as bowls, pipes, or figurines. Many Native Americans once used soapstone to make cooking vessels because of the ease in carving and the fact that it holds heat well. This occurred prima- rily during the Late Archaic period, between 3000 and 5000 years ago. Soapstone was a very important commodity. Soapstone pots were traded far from their origins. There are two different kinds of stone, popularly called soapstone; Talc, which is a softer stone, used for carvings, and Steatite, which is harder than Talc, used for countertops, fireplaces, ovens and etc. Brazilian Soapstone for carving(Talc) is known to be the preferred carving stone of the Inuit(Eskimos), because of it's unique patterns, colors and softness.