Eskimo String Figures 13 b 



Eskimo String Figures. 



PART I 

 FIGURES BEGINNING WITH OPENING A 



SECTION I. FIGURES KNOWN ALL ALONG THE NORTH COAST 

 SUBSECTION A. THE BROWN BEAR CYCLE AND KINDRED FIGURES 



I. The Two Bbown Bears 



This figure is known to the Diomede Islanders as "the two caribou without 

 their horns"; at Point Hope and Barrow it is called akhxk — "the two brown 

 bears." , The same name is given to it by the Inland Eskimos between Barrow 

 andthe Mackenzie river, and by the Mackenzie river natives; the latter make 

 a slight variation in the final movements which nevertheless produces the same 

 result, The Copper Eskimos follow the Mackenzie natives in this respect, 

 and call the finished figure akayyuk, a word which. has the same meaning, "the 

 two brown bears." In Cumberland sound a native who made the figure for 

 Boas wrote its name aktakjew or aktin, the meaning of which I do not know. 

 There is no figure more widely known among the western Eskimos, and the 

 Barrow and Inland natives commonly challenge each other to a contest of speed 

 in producing it. 



The Alaskan method of producing "the bears" is given first: 



Opening A. 



With the thumbs from the proximal side remove the index loops. With 

 the indices from the distal side remove the little finger loops. 



Pass the little fingers from the proximal side, from below, into the proximal 

 thumb loops and into the index loops, hook them over the radial index string, 

 and hold it firmly against the palms. 



Pass the indices over the distal thumb loops and with their palms draw the 

 upper transverse string through each index loop, thereby navahoing the indices. 

 Navaho the thumbs. 



Fig. 3 



Katilluik the thumb loops, and remove the new thumb loops to the indices. 

 From each hand a string runs from the ulnar index string to loop round the lower 

 transverse string near the middle. Take each up with the back of the nearer 

 thumb from the proximal side, then with each thumb from the proximal side take 

 up the radial index string of its hand; navaho the thumbs and drop the index 

 loops. You have "the two brown bears." 



