Page:Material Culture of the Iglulik Eskimos.djvu/137

dwelling, loose snow is shovelled up over it with the snow shovel (puarqit), an important implement, which is always taken along on sledge journeys. Fig. 72 b (Iglulik) is a snow shovel, made of three boards tied together, edge to edge, with sinew-tread; at the bottom is an edging of antler, likewise fastened on with sinew-thread; the blade is strengthened across the top by a small piece of wood; the hand loop is of seal thong; 80 cm long, 29 cm wide. Fig. 72 a (Aivilingmiut) consists of a triangular frame of antler, a blade consisting of two pieces of bearded-seal skin sewn together and a handle of antler; in the frame at the top a hand-loop of antler is inserted and fastened by iron pegs; the various parts are held together with strips of copper, sinew-thread and iron nails; length 86 cm, of which the handle measures 42 cm; breadth 32 cm. A small, crude snow shovel from Iglulik is 63 cm long, 30 cm wide; it consists of three boards tied together with sinew-thread and an edging of antler on all three sides; the handle is a separate piece of wood nailed on; just above the hand-loop, which is of antler, is a cross-piece, also of antler. A large modern snow shovel from Ponds Inlet is 99 cm long, 33 cm wide (just below the hand-loop); it consists of three boards nailed together; edging at the bottom and a broad reinforcement of sheetiron; the hand-loop of wood, composed of three pieces; the thickness of the handle is increased by a piece of wood nailed on.^[1]

Shovelling snow over the snow house is mostly the work of the women. The man is still making the platform in the house; if a ledge of snow has not been left standing, snow is shovelled together with the shovel and stamped firmly into a platform, whilst the floor is levelled; then a shelter wall is built at the door — or all according to the nature and intention of the house — a passage way, store room, etc. are built. Windows are put in (not in temporary houses) and a ventilating hole in the roof; sometimes a small chimney is used and this promotes the draught and prevents the roof from melting; I have not seen such a chimney but I was told of it at Iglulik. Then the house is finished as far as the man is concerned, and the women may come in and put things right, arrange the platforms as couches, put up the lamp and drying rack. Platform-skins, sleeping rugs and the other chattels are usually brought in through a hole in the wall, which is then closed up again, instead of bringing them through the low, partly "subterranean" doorway. As a rule, a newly built snow house is strong enough for a man to lie on top and close the crevices; but when it has been used for some time and the inner layer has been turned into ice, one may stand on top and stamp with the feet without doing any damage.