Page:Material Culture of the Iglulik Eskimos.djvu/227

In −20° I have seen a woman bring her nine-months adoptive daughter out of the pouch and sit her on the sledge for a little while with her lower body bare.

During the first two years the child is normally fed on the breast, and in fact even up to three or four years one occasionally sees them given the breast, as Lyon^[1] also draws attention to. On the other hand, infants are often given a drop of soup or a piece of meat or fat to suck.

As a rule, children are allowed their own way, even when quite small; if a little mite wants a sharp knife or ulo to play with, he gets it; I have seen a boy of just over twelve months fall down from the platform to the floor of the snow house, stark naked and with a sharp flensing knife in his hand; it is seldom that they cut themselves, however and the Eskimos say that it is good for them to learn early to handle edged things.

The following incident from Southampton Island is typical of child rearing: Agorajâq was a boy of three of four years, and was in the house of his grandfather Angutimarik; he was a determined and ill-natured little chap, knew what he wanted and as a rule had his own way. He came into the house after having been out playing in the snow, and his inner frock was filled with snow, for which reason Angutimarik beat it. This made him furious. he howled and struck at his grandfather, who calmly continued until he had finished. Then the boy's anger turned upon Makik's four year old daughter, to whom he was often cruel; he tried to strike her face. but she pushed him over. He screamed terribly and his grandfather lifted him up; again he rushed at her, was again pushed over and again picked up; this was repeated three times. Finally, Angutimarik took him aside and asked him if he would like a piece of meat. "No!" "Soup?" "No!" Then he went outside. Shortly afterwards his grandmother called to him: "Will you not have a little cooked meat". "No". "Nor soup?". "No, I won't". Then he came in through the door and struck at his grandfather with his toy whip. "Come now and have some meat and soup while it is warm", said Angutimarik. "No!", and out he went again. A short time afterwards he appeared again in the doorway with the whip. "Do you want some soup now?" asked his grandmother. "No!" "Are you sure you won't have a little soup?". He came closer and was given a big cup of soup. "Would you like some meat too?". He started to eat ravenously.

Once, however, I saw his grandparents thrash him; still, he was more ill-natured than children usually are; most of them are good humoured and it does not spoil them much to get their own way.