Group Hunting on the Spring Ice

Synopsis

The series shows how life used to be among the Netsilik when they still lived apart and depended on the land and their own ingenuity to sustain life through the rigours of the Artic year. The filming was done in the Pelly Bay region of the Canadian Arctic. In 3 parts: 1 (34 min): Late June when much of the land is bare. There is much activity in camp. A man fashions a bow from bone and sinews. Children play. The following day the men move out on the sea ice to look for seal pups; 2 (27 min): The men are out on the sea ice and the women work at tasks at the camp, such as drying out the sealskins, cooking seagulls, and gathering moss as fuel. Everyone ends up playing a juggling game; 3 (33 min): The men, out on the ice, hunt for seals - one makes a strike with his harpoon, another loses his catch. They catch seals, relishing the liver and blood and return with three seals to the camp. The women prepare the meat. The blubber is packed into sealskin bags and the men take it to the cache.

Series

Netsilik Eskimo, Series

Language

English

Country

United States

Medium

Film; Video; Film. 16mm. sd. col. 33 min. (part 3 only) Videocassette. VHS. col. 34, 27, 33 min.

Technical information

Black-and-white / Sound

Year of production

1967

Availability

Hire (film - RAI Film & Video Library)
Sale (video - RAI); 1995 hire: £22.00 (+VAT +p&p) part 3 only 2000 sale: £60.00 (+VAT +p&p)

Subjects

Anthropology

Keywords

Canada; hunter-gatherers; Inuit; Netsilik; seal hunting; social life and customs

Credits

Director

Asen Balikci; Quentin Brown

Producer

Kevin Smith; Quentin Brown

Contributor

Guy Mary-Rousselière

Distribution Formats

Type

Film

Format

16mm

Production Company

Name

National Film Board of Canada

Email

customerservice@nfb.ca

Web

http://www.nfb.ca External site opens in new window

Phone

(514) 283 9000

Fax

(514) 283-7564

Address

Sales and Customer Service (D-10)
PO Box 6100
Station Centre-Ville
Montreal
QC H3C 3HS
Canada

Name

USA

Sponsor

Name

Ford Foundation

Name

USA

Distributor

Name

Royal Anthropological Institute Film & Video Library, c/o Concord Media

Email

sales@concordvideo.co.uk

Web

http://www.concordmedia.org.uk/ External site opens in new window

Phone

01473 726012

Fax

01473 274531

Address

Rosehill Centre
22 Hines Road
Ipswich
IP3 9BG