| Summary: | The concept of turning nothing into something or making something into something extraordinary is exactly what Inuit have done for centuries for survival, function and purpose. Using materials from nature, reusing unutilized materials and recycling good materials to creating something useful is a way of life for many in the north. Inuit make things from by-products of hunted animals all the time such as tools, clothing, household items, and even devises for transportation. In this series we see the incredible things made traditionally made by Inuit and how we make and use our creations today. Many Inuit mostly women are taking part in a revival of traditional Inuit tattoos. Traditionally, Inuit women, mostly in their teenage years received symbolic designs on their face and arms and sometimes on their legs as an expression of beauty. The tools used were made of caribou bone for stitching and poking. Stitching would be done with a bone needle and the thread made of sinew from the back of a caribou muscle soaked in natural ink such as soot of a burning traditional seal oil lamp. The needle would be used again when the tattoo was finished the needle would be stored in a seal skin cover with seal fat to protect it from getting dirty.
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