Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Farewell...

           It has been a pleasure, researching and finding out new and wonderful things about snow goggles and the impact they have made not only in Inupiaq culture, but around the world. The purpose of this blog was to share that knowledge, and acknowledge their cultural importance. Though they are small in stature, the story of snow goggles means a heap of value towards the Inupiaq ancient traditions, which have helped the Inupiaq people thrive in one of the world's harshest climates since time immemorable.

Farewell
-Josey

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Recap

          The purpose of this post "Recap" is to serve as a run-over regarding the  material I have previously shared on this journey, with my internet audience thus far...
          Previously I've posted about the crucial significance that good eyesight and visual memory is to the Inupiaq people, as individuals and as a people. Eyesight is very important in Inupiaq culture because, the far north's terrain consists of tundra and sea ice. Often times hunters had to rely on the ability to memorize a landscape by relying on slight visual cues. Life was seemingly dependent on the ability to see, and when sight was threatened (snow blindness) so was there livelihood. Thus the invention of snow goggles (nearly two thousand years ago by the Thule Inupiaqs) revolutionized Inupiaq lifestyle.  
         After snow goggles were first introduced to the world as an instrument for hunting it was soon drafted into Inupiaq village life. During this period of time, the production of snow goggles began to resemble that of artwork, because of the engraved fine carvings complimented by their great sense of individuality embedded within each pair.
         As an after effect of colonialism the traditional way of making snow goggles is no longer done to the extent that they once were, people still make them but not as often. More likely than not, most people buy pairs of company manufactured snow goggles from local convenient stores. This trend is very common regarding indigenous peoples around the world; the slow drift from ancient tradition to  modern lifestyles. By spreading the cultural knowledge of snow goggles, I hope that snow goggles will not end up like so many things the past has taught us... forgotten.

Monday, November 29, 2010

The Importance of Eyesight

          I was reading a study online entitled "Visual Memory in Village Eskimo and Urban Caucasian Children", in this article the author Judith Kleinfeld concludes that village Inupiaq children demonstrated significantly higher levels of visual memory (their levels of visual memory increases with age as well) than urban Caucasian children. The visual memory differences are a proven scientific fact, and in this article Judith Kleinfeld delves into cultural/ecological explanations as to why.
Her hypothesis is based on these findings...

Requirements of Arctic and Urban Ecology

  • The flat tundra/ and or sea ice provide few distinctive visual markers for hunters to rely on
  • Inupiat's had to rely on small visual cues
  • Traveling through featureless terrain
  • They had to develop small landmarks and their locations
Socialization

  • The Inupiaq language may increase the speakers' awareness for visual concepts
  • Genetics
  • They live in a hunting culture
The thesis and her findings are extremely well done, I advise anyone who wishes to further understand the importance of eyesight in Inupiat culture to check out her site.

Click Here
Farewell

- Josey

"Yukutkaak" Becomes An Art



            Over time Yukutkaak (snow goggles) weren't just used for hunting purposes, their usage began to extend, and became commonplace in the living quarters as well. As snow goggles were being adapted into the village culture, more emphasis were placed on their physical appearance, as people began to pour out their creativity, and imagination, into making their own pair of snow goggles, and thus Yukutkaak developed not only as a fashion but as an art form as well.
             As mentioned in an earlier post I analyzed about six pairs of snow goggles at the Anchorage Museum originating from the Norton Sea area. I noticed that no two were exactly alike. One pair would resemble an owl, another looked like a hollowed out box, and some resembled the "perfect" pair I've previously discussed. All of them were different from one another, they may have carried certain similarities such as thin slits for their eyes to peer out of, but even that "similarity" wasn't on all of the goggles. What I found very intriguing was that one of the informative descriptions supplied by the museum mentioned that, "the goggles were just as individual as the people that made them."
            Snow goggles were no longer just tools, used for survival, but they also held a very strong role in Inupiat culture as well, as an art form, for individual expression.



References
Josey, J. (2010). Becoming art. Snow goggles (pp. 3).


The author  lives in the state of Alaska, and as a student of the local university he has been given the opportunity to learn about things the typical textbook is not able to teach. Though he attends college, Josey considers himself as a student of life, and it is the examples given to him in life that he tries so passionately, to learn and to apply. The excerpted piece of literature above comes from his personal collection of writings, regarding some of his more personal thoughts and ideas. Originally this piece was a part of a larger compilation of writings entitled “Snow Goggles” which was an assignment assigned in his English class. The piece entitled “Becoming Art” really helps bring out the point Josey was trying to relate to his audience, in regards to the craftsmanship that was being applied to the goggles as they were being made.



Farewell
-Josey

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

How To Make A Pair in the Wild

Here's a very cool video, giving step by step instruction, on how to make a simple pair of snow goggles in a wilderness setting. I hope you enjoy.



References


Howcast, H. (2010, August 25). How to make snow 
   goggles. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?
   v=Kbwk0zo8Q38


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbwk0zo8Q38


Howcast is a corporation that specializes in making and distributing instructional content. Led by a senior management team whose members are specialists in traditional as well as new forms of media, as well as technology. Their wide spectrum of communication skills allow them to reach a broader audience, with very useful instructional content. Howcast has offices both in New York and San Francisco, for easy access for their site publishers and content providers stationed around the world. This particular video on my blog comes from Howcast’s channel on Youtube that consists of over 6,000 videos, videos consisting of instructional content. I find this video very useful and easy to understand, as well as being easy to follow. Other films on making a pair of snow goggles range from eight to fifteen minutes, so I was really happy to find that the host kept everything real simple, and made the film really short. 

Farewell
-Josey

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

How To Make Snow Goggles

            In this post, I will be writing on how to make a pair of snow goggles. In my opinion there are two different types of snow goggles. There are traditional snow goggles, and then there's the one's made on the fly in the wilderness, in a life threatening situation.
            In this blog I will write about traditional snow goggles, and in the next blog, I will post a video on how to make them in the wilderness.

           Each pair of snow goggles is made to fit whomever they were made for.  Typically a fine piece of wood or ivory would be used. The piece would be wide enough to reach the wearer's temples. Then a slight curve would be applied onto the "mask" of the goggles, so they would fit around their face more comfortably. Then they would coordinate where the eyes would be at, and make slits approximately an inch and a half in length, and a few centimeters in height. Then a strap of braided sinew, or some string would be used to securely fasten it around the wearers head.

References




Steven Pirot, S.T. (2010, November 11). How are they made
     Retrieved from 
     http://yupiksnowgoggles.blogspot.com/


http://yupiksnowgoggles.blogspot.com/
The author Steven Pirot is a great writer, who has a blog exclusively based on Yupik Snow Goggles. In this blog he has numerous posts about various aspects of Yupik culture, and their many uses for snow goggles, and also writes about their usages pre colonialism, and post colonialism. Mr. Pirot relates the Yupik snow goggles to indigenous cultures around the world and compares them with similarities and contrasts. The author examines numerous topics of interest such as, how they are made, useful websites, the history of snow goggles in the state of Alaska, and a post in response to ancient goggles evolutionary change to what they are today. The blog itself is a great source for information, on an object that can be hard to fin information on. He has poured many hours of research into his work, and many of his posts are annotated with APA reference citation, to validate credibility.




Shane Dayton, S.D. (2010). How to make eskimo snow goggles.                
     Retrieved from 
     http://www.ehow.com/how_5630415_make-eskimo- 
     snow-  goggles.html


http://www.ehow.com/how_5630415_make-eskimo-snow-goggles.html
The author Shane Dayton, an author that works closely with ehow.com wrote an article entitled, "How to Make Eskimo Snow Goggles."In this article the author writes step by step instructions on how to make a standard pair of snow goggles with a simple piece of birch bark and a knife. The instructions are very easy to follow, and could come in handy in a wilderness survival situation. I used this web site, to get an idea, as to what a person should do to make a standard pair of snow goggles. Overall I consider this website very useful for my usage of it in my blog, and for wilderness survival tips. The instructions are really easy to follow, but to my dismay there isn't any visual representation to aid the written instruction, but it is still a very good website.


Farewell
(at least until tomorrow)

-Josey

Monday, November 22, 2010

My Personal Thoughts On A Pair I've Seen pt. 2

         In the previous blog, I wrote about my personal thoughts on a pair of snow goggles I have seen at the Anchorage Museum,  in which there is an excerpt of what I've thought in relation to feelings, or how I had felt about them. In this blog I will post an excerpt about their physical appearance.

        "To me that one pair of snow goggles exhibited such exquisite detail; they were dressed with a fine dark brown finish, with a perfectly oval shaped bridge allowing a comfortable fit on the nose. Thin slits for the eyes, but still wide enough to allow the peripheral vision to be of use. A thin strap made of either seal skin or braided sinew kept them from falling off of the wearer's head. The most distinctive part to me was the skillfully made visor just above the slits for the eyes, built with perfect symmetry containing machine lie precision. Though very slender and delicate in appearance, they demonstrated a great sense of fashion, and simultaneously capable of heavy duty performances."

And here they are...

References
Josey, J. (2010). The perfect ones. Snow goggles (pp. 3).

The author  lives in the state of Alaska, and as a student of the local university he has been given the opportunity to learn about things the typical textbook is not able to teach. Though he attends college, Josey considers himself as a student of life, and it is the examples given to him in life that he tries so passionately, to learn and to apply. The excerpted piece of literature above comes from his personal collection of writings, regarding some of his more personal thoughts and ideas. Originally this piece was a part of a larger compilation of writings entitled “Snow Goggles” which was an assignment assigned in his English class. The piece entitled “The Perfect Ones” really helps bring out the point Josey was trying to relate to his audience, in regards to the craftsmanship that was being applied to the goggles as they were being made.
Farewell
(at least until tomorrow)
- Josey

My Personal Thoughts On A Pair I've Seen

      This last fall, I went to the Anchorage Museum with some classmates, it was here that I have done the bulk of my "hands on" research. After I studied and critiqued the multiple pairs of snow goggles on display there, I wrote down my thoughts on a specific pair, and here's an excerpt...
  
       "One pair of snow goggles in particular caught my eye, compelling me to study snow goggles. Simply put, I couldn't help but to fall in love with them, probably because I saw al of the love that was poured into making it. Although individual snow goggles don't have names, I almost want to name them just to
distinguish that pair from the other five. The meticulous effort poured into them is simply amazing to me.
To me it seems it was made with the same affectionate care that resembles a parent holding their newborn
for the very first time, or the type of care that can only be reached when an artists's whole heart is poured
into their creation making t their own personal masterpiece."


       The above excerpt is from my personal library of writings that I have written, in future dialogs I may refer back to these. Later on tonight I will post the second half of my thoughts on the "special" pair of snow goggles.

References
Josey, J. (2010). The perfect ones. Snow goggles (pp. 3).

The author  lives in the state of Alaska, and as a student of the local university he has been given the opportunity to learn about things the typical textbook is not able to teach. Though he attends college, Josey considers himself as a student of life, and it is the examples given to him in life that he tries so passionately, to learn and to apply. The excerpted piece of literature above comes from his personal collection of writings, regarding some of his more personal thoughts and ideas. Originally this piece was a part of a larger compilation of writings entitled “Snow Goggles” which was an assignment assigned in his English class. The piece entitled “The Perfect Ones” really helps bring out the point Josey was trying to relate to his audience, in regards to the craftsmanship that was being applied to the goggles as they were being made.

Farewell
(until later this evening)

-Josey

Thursday, November 18, 2010

A Good Snow Goggles Website

        Due to the lacking amount of research/documentation on Inupiaq Snow Goggles, It was somewhat difficult for me to find any information on them, rather it be online or in a book. My research has taken me far and wide, from museums, libraries, and countless hours online, to find information about these cultural objects lest they be forgotten. As mentioned above, I have been constantly using multiple sources, and in a way my work can be seen as a collage of theirs.
        The website I'm endorsing, has some valuable information on snow goggles, the site covers the history of snow goggles, materials used to make them, and a description of their physical appearance. To view the site click the link below


Click Here

Josey

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Goggles Today

      Thousands of years ago communication was limited to just word of mouth. A couple thousand years ago human communication consisted of word of mouth and writing, now communication consists of Facebook, Twitter, texting, email, phones, books, and word of mouth conversation. The history of goggles are quite similar, goggles at one time only consisted of snow goggles, then came eye glasses, and as of today there are at least ten different types of goggles I can name off the top of my head.
  1. Snow Goggles
  2. Aviation Goggles
  3. Water Goggles
  4. Night Vision Goggles
  5. Smart Goggles
  6. Safety Goggles
  7. Cyber Goggles
  8. Beer Goggles
  9. Welding Goggles
  10. Basketball Goggles

      Many different types of communicative mediums have been derived from speech, the same idea can be seen with the evolution of goggles. All ten of these different types of goggles were derived from ancient Inupiat snow goggles, made over 2,000 years ago. Though small in size, goggles have played an important role not just Alaskan Native history, but human history as well.


Farewell,
(at least until tomorrow)

Josey


References
Snow goggles. (2010). Retrieved from 
    http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=54


http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=54

The "Alaskan Native Collections" is a daughter site to the Smithsonian Institution, so it's a very credible source. This site in particular is where all of my research has stemmed off of. The information the Smithsonian Institution provides is second to none, and they give very detail accounts as to what is known about snow goggles, and the reason's why the Inupiaq people used them for over 2,000 year. On the webpage, they also have pictures of the snow goggles they currently have on display at the Anchorage Museum (which I have personally analyzed). They also carry valuable information on each specimen regarding the culture they are from, the region, the usage of the item, it's physical dimension, and even it's accesion date. This website serves as a great source to get information from.



Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Snow Blindness

          If you have ever wondered why people had to wear snow goggles the answer can be found in these two words - SNOW BLINDNESS. Becoming snow blind is one of the last things a person would ever want. In a popularity contest becoming snow blind would come in second to last, second only to death. Here's what an Alaskan Native Elder has to say upon the subject....

 "I got snow blind once, and I had to stay in the house for three days. If you get snow blindness, you’re worthless. It’s painful. Achapak used to use those too."

Though his words are few, they bare a measure of pain that leaves nightmares (im exaggerating), but in some cases it did leave the person with permanent blindness. Becoming blind in the arctic, is a sure death sentence, without sight theirs no hunting, without hunting you become a burden for your family because you cannot carry your weight. If you cannot carry your weight you become dead weight, and if you live in the arctic, that's a very bad situation for you and the people that care about you. In short your almost bound to die young if you end up permanently blind. Giving anybody the perfect excuse as to why someone should wear a pair snow goggles.

Farewell,
(at least until tomorrow)
Josey

References
Smithsonian, S. (n.d.). Snow goggles. Retrieved from http://alaska.si.edu/browse.asp

http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=54
The "Alaskan Native Collections" is a daughter site to the Smithsonian Institution, so it's a very credible source. This site in particular is where all of my research has stemmed off of. The information the Smithsonian Institution provides is second to none, and they give very detail accounts as to what is known about snow goggles, and the reason's why the Inupiaq people used them for over 2,000 year. On the webpage, they also have pictures of the snow goggles they currently have on display at the Anchorage Museum (which I have personally analyzed). They also carry valuable information on each specimen regarding the culture they are from, the region, the usage of the item, it's physical dimension, and even it's accession date. This website serves as a great source to get information from.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Modern vs Ancient







      


VS






In the left corner we have modern snow goggles!
In the right corner we have ancient Inupiat snow goggles! 
... Are you ready to rumble!
First let us critique the stats. on modern snow goggles.

               Judging from their appearance the lens seems to be made of plastic, with a lot of tinting via polarizing filters (same material used in sunglasses), allowing for a lot of protection from the sun's ultraviolet rays. It even appears as if the lenses are double layered, offering an extra shield of protection. Because it's made of plastic, it allows for them to be both lightweight, flexible and durable. Like the ancient pair of goggles, they utilize a straps instead of arms to insure that they remain on the person's head at all times, which could come in handy especially when skiing at high speeds or during times of vigorous movement.

Now let us take a look at the ancient Inupiat snow goggles.

              Instead of a plastic frame it appear's as if it might be handmade out of some type of ivory possibly walrus tusk or caribou antler. The design includes very detailed intricate carvings giving them the resemblance of an owl. Instead of tall wide lenses, they have very thin slits for the eyes to peer out of and limiting the ultraviolet glare off of the snow, allowing the peripheral vision to still be of use, but vision will be limited compared to the modern prototypes. Instead of arms like modern sunglasses, the ancient pair sports a strap made of sinew, that can be adjusted to the wearer's preference.

I'm convinced modern snow goggles win this matchup ladies and gentlemen. For multiple reasons:

  • Ivory would harbor more of the cold temperature than plastic making the wearer's face even colder
  • Ivory isn't as flexible as plastic, though hard to break, it's possible for them to snap or chip, and then they will no longer be of any use
  • The slits allow for limited vision
  • The plastic allows more comfort upon wearing 
Though there is some things that the modern goggles are missing:
  • A personal connection to the person wearing them, considering they didn't make them
  • Individuality, because they are mass produced
  • Art, sure modern goggles are fashionable, but they don't resemble any form of self expression


Friday, November 12, 2010

The Hunt (short story)

                 In the early stages of spring, on the frost bitten terrain of northern Alaska, an Inupiaq hunter studies his surroundings. He breathes deep into the icy breeze, that burns his throat and tickles his lower spine as it disintegrates throughout his frame; he takes no notice. As his parka insulates the natural heat being carried throughout his body, his face remains bare against the bitter breeze. He looks above seeking guidance from his ancestors, to ensure his safe return, simultaneously observing the desolate sky. He proceeds his journey with caution, as if his senses had been blurred, and then he is astonished by the realization that he cant’ see! After calming down, he’s quick to realize that he has become “snow blind”. Soon followed by a thought that was far worse than even the blindness; the thought that his family would have no choice but to remain in their state of hunger, until he is well enough to hunt again. 

References

Josey, J. (2010). The hunt. Snow goggles (pp. 3).


The author  lives in the state of Alaska, and as a student of the local university he has been given the opportunity to learn about things the typical textbook is not able to teach. Though he attends college, Josey considers himself as a student of life, and it is the examples given to him in life that he tries so passionately, to learn and to apply. The excerpted piece of literature above comes from his personal collection of writings, regarding some of his more personal thoughts and ideas. Originally this piece was a part of a larger compilation of writings entitled “Snow Goggles” which was an assignment assigned in his English class. The short story entitled “The Hunt” really helps bring out the point Josey was trying to relate to his audience, on the importance of wearing snow goggles, not only is the story entertaining but it also calls for an emotional connection.
Farewell
(at least until tomorrow)
- Josey

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Put on Your Goggles!

          Its official winter is now here, and unfortunately it is to stay, in the great city of Anchorage, Alaska. I’m not a big fan of snow, so in my free time my mind often wonders to some place warm enough to not wear my oversized coat. So today I challenge all of my faithful readers, to imagine yourselves lounging around a beautiful beach in the early breaths of spring, wearing your favorite pair of sunglasses… two thousand years ago! Yes! Two thousand years ago. Because it was then, that the ancient Thule Inupiaqs invented the first prototypes for modern day sun glasses – snow goggles.  The Inupiaq people learned to survive in one of the harshest environments in the world, with the aid of two things – an active knowledge of the land and creativity. Earlier this year I wrote an academic paper, and the thesis was based upon, how necessity leads to creativity, and the invention of snow goggles serves as a prime example of this phenomenon. 
          In my next blog I will delve deeper into the significance of this small object that carries great significance that can draw the line in the sand, separating life from death… in the form of a short story, written by myself.

Farewell
(at least until tomorrow)
- Josey



Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Introduction

Friends, Romans, countrymen, welcome to my blog. The focus of this blog is Inupiat Snow Goggles. Within the next few weeks I will be posting numerous articles on the following, but not necessarily in this succession.
  • Snow Goggle history
  • How to make a pair in an emergency situation
  • Viewing Snow Goggles through the lens of art
  • Modern Vs. Ancient
  • Cultural Significanse
  • An illustrative short story... by me
  • My thoughts, on the pair I personally studied
  • Will traditional Snow Goggles be a victim of extinction?
  • And What I hope you got out of this blog
This is just the beginning of what is to come

Farewell,
 (at least until tomorrow)
- Josey