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Weapon, Toy, Or Art? The Eskimo Yo-Yo As A Commodified Artic Bola And Marker Of Cultural Identity Item Type Thesis Authors Klistoff, Alysa J. Download date 05/10/2021 09:21:48 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/8567 WEAPON, TOY, OR ART? THE ESKIMO YO-YO AS A COMMODIFIED ARCTIC BOLA AND MARKER OF CULTURAL IDENTITY By Alysa J Klistoff RECOMMENDED: DarxOdess, PhD Patty Gray, PhD ^ 7 ^ Maribeth Murray, PI Head, Department of'Anthropology APPROVED: Dean, College of Liberal Arts Dean of the Graduate School A /g rc A , z<x)7 Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1444731 Copyright 2007 by Klistoff, Alysa J. All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 1444731 Copyright 2007 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. WEAPON, TOY, OR ART? THE ESKIMO YO-YO AS A COMMODIFIED ARCTIC BOLA AND MARKER OF CULTURAL IDENTITY A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS By Alysa J. Klistoff, B.A. Fairbanks, Alaska May 2007 © 2007 Alysa Jean Klistoff Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Abstract The Eskimo yo-yo is a popular tourist art found in gift shops across Alaska. It is made in a variety of shapes, ranging from seals and dolls, to mukluks and simple balls. Many are plainly decorated; others display elaborate decorations, fine beadwork, and intricate details. Some shops carry only Native-made pieces, while others carry imitation pieces made in China. Though a true history of the Eskimo yo-yo remains “shrouded in mystery” (Ray 1977), Eskimos maintain that this game originated as an important and widely used hunting tool made simply with sinew and bones - the bola. The gun has replaced the bola as a hunting tool, yet, the skills required to use a bola (dexterity, speed, aim, coordination, strength and stamina) remain important in areas where people subsist off the land; as such, the Eskimo yo-yo remains an important link to the past and speaks to a subsistence lifestyle. Natives and tourists alike recognize it as a marker of cultural heritage. This thesis details the enigmatic history of the relationship between the Eskimo yo-yo and the arctic bola and explores the influences each has as markers of indigenous identity in Alaska. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents Page Signature Page:....................................................................................................................... i Title Page: ............................................................................................................................ ii Abstract: ................................................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents: .................................................................................................................iv List of Figures and Tables: ..................................................................................................vii List of Plates ........................................................................................... viii List of Appendices: ...............................................................................................................ix Preface:............................................................................................................................x I Introduction:................................................................................................... x II Objectives: ......................................................................................................xi III Methods: ........................................................................................................xi IV Scope:........................................................................................................... xii V Terminology:.............................................................................................. xiv VI Conclusion:.................................................................................................xiv Acknowledgements:...........................................................................................................xvi Chapter 1 Theory in the Anthropological Narrative of Tourist................ Arts: 1 1.1 Introduction:....................................................................................................1 1.2 The Historical Rise of Tourist Arts: .............................................................2 1.3 Commodification:........................................................................................... ,5 1.4 Tradition and Authenticity............................................................................ 8 1.5 Conclusion:...................................................................................................11 Chapter 2 Cultural Context of the Arctic Bola and Eskimo Yo-Yo:................ 14 2.1 Introduction...................................................................................................14 2.2 Geographic Description of Alaska: ............................................................ 15 2.3 Culture Groups and Traditional Lifestyles of Alaska:.............................. 16 2.4 Early Collecting in Alaska:..........................................................................19 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. V 2.5 The Market for Tourist Art from Alaska ................................................... 20 2.6 Placing the Eskimo Yo-Yo in Context ...................................................... 23 2.7 Summary....................................................................................................... 24 Chapter 3 From Hunting to Playing: The Arctic Bola and The Eskimo Yo-Yo:..................................................................... 25 3.1 Introduction.................................................................................................. 25 3.2 The Arctic Bola: ...........................................................................................26 3.3 Miniature Modifications as Play and Practice:......................................... 30 3.4 Linking the Arctic Bola and the Eskimo Yo-Yo ...................................... 32 3.5 Summary...................................................................................................... 34 V ignette The Eskimo Yo-Yo in Folklore:...........................................................44 Chapter 4 “Game of Much Fun:” The Eskimo Yo-Yo As A Marker of Cultural Identity..................................................................................................47 4.1 Introduction.................................................................................................. 47 4.2 Game of Much Fun, Chuk-Chuk: A Child’s Practice and Plaything: .....50 4.3 Appearance of the Eskimo Yo-Yo on the Tourist Market: ....................... 51 4.4.1 Cultural Identity: Skin Sewing as Artistic Craft and Cultural Heritage .57 4.4.2 Cultural Identity: Re-emergence of the World Eskimo Yo-Yo Contest: 64 4.5 Summary.......................................................................................................65 Chapter 5 An Eskimo Yo-Yo Typology:.............................................................. 66 5.1 Introduction...................................................................................................66 5.2 Patterns and Shapes: .................................................................................... 67 5.2.1 People Related:............................................................................................ 68 5.2.2 Animals:........................................................................................................68 5.2.3 Baskets:.........................................................................................................69 5.2.4 Cones:............................................................................................................69 5.2.5 Cylinders:......................................................................................................69 5.2.6 Shapes: ...........................................................................................................69 5.3 Decorations: 70 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 5.3.1 Beading: 70 5.3.2 Applique: 70 5.3.3 Embroidery: 70 5.3.4 Fancy Patterns: