Seal Hunt Research Papers

Words: 679
Pages: 3

Seal hunts are common in the Arctic. Male hunters rely on dogs on their seal hunt, who sniff the ice to find the seal. Hunters use harpoons to find the breathing hole where the seal lives. They then dig through the breathing hole and trace the hole's direction to know where to thrust further beside the hole. The hunter then attempts to cover up the actual hole with snow so that the seal does not notice. They use their saliva to freeze a piece of sinew to place on the edge of the hole. This is to indicate the seal's breathing, which notifies the hunter of the best time to strike. They place the harpoon down and watch the breathing hole. After striking through the hole, they use the strap to tie the seal and pull it away from the hole. Cooperation starts …show more content…
Male hunters bring back the seal to share with their wives and children. The wife must carve through the rubber of the sea, and she is also responsible for distributing meat among family members. Each family member receives a specific part of the seal and they must only consume the part distributed to them. For example, little boys are the first to eat a portion of the seal. The girls then receive a drink of fresh blood. Seal meat was not shared equally among every family member, since each person received a different portion of the seal (which may come in different weights, meaning more or less food is distributed, according to the person receiving the portion of food). As the men hunt for seals, their wives perform various tasks. For the first task, the wives of hunters who ride on their way to the place where they hunt soften their skin boots by blowing onto them and biting them. This adds warmth to the skin of boots. This helps facilitate the process of hunting in the harsh cold climate, where resources are scarce and the distance to hunting grounds is long. For the second task, adult mothers show their daughter how to make