I’ve been meaning to write about Amautiqs, the inuit woman’s parka, for sometime now. Really I was waiting for better pictures to post, but getting a picture of Leah is akin to getting one of the Loch Ness Monster, although I am sure that Leah exists.
The amautiq is a marvel, capable of holding a baby (or two) comfortably and warm. Many people have a misconception that the baby is carried in the hood of the amautiq, which isn’t correct. The back of the garment is made in such a way that it creates a pouch. It is in this pouch that the baby is placed, snug against mom’s back. The pouch is further secured by a rope of yarn that slips around the back and into a harness on the chest, pulled tight to keep the bottom of the pouch from opening up. The hood is a separate part of the garment.
The women here are amazingly adept at putting the child in and out of the amautiq without help. To put a child in you hold it high on your back and neck, and while you hold it there with one hand the other pulls the pouch up and around the baby until it can be safely lowered into the pouch. The child is taken out over the shoulder dropping into mom’s waiting arms.
Children can be carried in an amautiq until they are quite old. Leah still carries Travis (or rather did before Hilary’s arrival) on occasion, especially if she was making a short trip and in a hurry, he’d need no jacket or snowpants etc.. I’m not sure how her back handles it.
Men also wear amautiqs, although I’ve yet to find one in Arctic Bay that would fit me, and would use it so infrequently that having one made wouldn’t be worth it. It is actually considered good luck for a baby to be carried by dad in an amautiq.
Most amautiq are made of cloth, with a separate liner (a warm layer which can be taken out when the weather is nice), although occasionally you see one made of Caribou skin. There are many skilled seamstress here, it is a valued skill. Leah’s mother is particularly skilled (I must post a picture of my parka some time) although she didn’t make this amautiq, another woman did (she just fussed over and changed the trim and the lay of the cloth).
The amautiq is one of the things that makes the arctic unique. I have to admit that when I first arrived here I found it particularly striking to see so many women wearing them, their everyday outerwear. And although it is difficult getting a picture of Leah in one, my all time favourite photo of her is one of her with Travis in the amautiq, on board the CCGS Louis S. St. Laurent. I’d post it but she doesn’t like this sort of attention, it’s a Loch Ness thing.
Comments
5 responses
Clare– Thank you for posting this. I have wondered about the amautiq, had only read of them, but never seen one. They seem like such a great idea. I’d love to see the photos of your parka that your mother-in-law made.
Clare–Your post reminds me of travelling in the Peruvian Andes, where I was struck by the sling-like folded cloth in which the women carried babies on their backs–I’m sure I do the complexity of the apparatus little justice. I was so enamored with them that I bought one and brought it back for a friend. There’s a project in comparative anthropology for us (though probably already done) to look at the diversity of baby-carrying devices and there relationship to place and cultural heritage.
what a lovely, natural way to carry a precious package like Hilary. And I think it’s sweet that Leah dislikes her photos taken.. I’m kinda the same way myself, good to know a few of us are camera shy 🙂
Hmm. I wonder if she’d be too shy for you to email it. You know, to some of your blog buddies…? The ones who asked nicely and said “pretty please”? 🙂
Just curious if you know of anyone who could make me and lo one? Thanks