he oldest dolls found in
Canada were made by the ancestors of the Inuit living at Brooman
Point, on Bathurst Island, about a thousand years ago. The Inuit
have inhabited the Arctic for at least two thousand years. We do
not know at what point in their history they began making dolls, but
it is certainly an ancient tradition.
It is easy to imagine these small figures as playthings. A tiny doll
could be tucked into a mitten or a hood and carried from place to
place as the community moved in search of food. Inuit girls learned
to cut and sew skins and fur by making a doll to play with. Sewing
was a vital skill that had to be practised from an early age because
warm waterproof clothing was essential for survival.
Inuit hunters sometimes mounted a small doll on their boats to bring
them luck. Today, Inuit dolls are made for collectors and tourists.
They tend to be much larger and include modern materials.
Inuit female doll
ca. 1950
Inukjuak (Port Harrison), Quebec
Leather head, fur hair, caribou parka, sewn with sinew
CMC IV-B-1603
Inuit male doll
Waterproof fish-gut parka
CMC D-Z-A-15
Inuit male doll
ca. 1950
Quebec
Leather head, sealskin coat, sewn with sinew
CMC IV-B-1602 a, b
Inuit female doll
ca. 1950
Inukjuak (Port Harrison), Quebec
Soapstone head, carrying ivory fish and ulu
CMC IV-B-1605