Amauti

A quick note before we get started: is everyone OK with clicking on the link in email to get to the blog? Or do you want me to try going back to sending the whole post directly to your inboxes?   I stopped doing that because not all the posts were getting through.  Any feedback? I'm listening...

This little cutie is wearing a traditional amauti.
Her stuffed polar bear rests in the back pouch.

One of the things that immediately caught my eye when arrived here was the beautiful traditional Inuit clothing.  I didn't know what the clothing items were called, or what they were for, just that they were exotic and very, very beautiful.

One of my staple pieces of
clothing circa Grade 8.
source

I have always had an interest in fashion.  That does NOT mean that I have always have great fashion sense.  (I thought my Vuarnet France t-shirt in the eighth grade made me the coolest kid ever.  I don't even want to talk about what I did to my hair in the '80's.) Despite my fashion failings, I have always found clothing fascinating.  Really, the only purpose it serves is to cover our "bits" and keep us warm.  Boots and shoes protect our feet.  Clothing doesn't need to be anything more than simple drab coverings,  yet every culture has a different way of a expressing art through fashion.

The Inuit live in one of the harshest climates in the world.  Warm clothing is essential for survival.  Traditionally the Inuit, of course, used resources available to them-- namely furs and leather (caribou and sealskin).  But the fur and leather clothing was not simply utilitarian. Garments were decorated with dye, beads, and other embellishments.

An "amauti" is a type of traditional Inuit parka worn by women with babies, up to about age 2 (I was discouraged when I learned they were for women with babies/toddlers, as my baby is now 7). The baby is placed into the back of the amauti, in a pouch (called the "amaut") designed for it (NOT in the hood, though it looks that way).  This leaves the hood free to pull up over both mom and baby when the weather is cold. Inuit were traditionally nomadic.  An amauti kept a baby warm, safe, and close by--all while leaving the mother's hands free to pick berries, chop meat, skin seals, etc.

Traditional amauti.
source

Modern amautis are made with many layers of thick fabric. They are often embellished with ribbon, or beadwork.  Amautis, like many northern parkas, pull on over the head.  This helps keep the vital organs warm. 

Gorgeous modern amauti.

This person was selling her amauti on
Facebook, which is common.

Demonstrating where the baby/
toddler sits in the amaut.

Because amautis are only worn while a child is quite young, they are often handed on to other new mothers.  The Iqaluit Sell/Swap Facebook site regularly has gently used amautis up for grabs.  Making an amauti is an art.  They are not mass-produced, and are always custom-made. Therefore, they are not cheap, often selling for hundreds of dollars.  Amauti patterns are closely guarded secrets.  There is fear that if patterns become common knowledge, the Inuit may lose a part of their unique culture. Amauti patterns differ depending on the community where they are crafted.  An amauti from one community, for instance, may have a pointed hood, or unique style of embroidery on the sleeves. Other amautis are longer in the back than the front.  

A summer amauti.

Amautis are not just worn in the winter.  I have seen beautiful summer and fall amautis as well.  Amautis to be worn in warmer weather tend to be quilted, and are constructed with lighter weight, breathable fabric. Some have sleeves, others are sleeveless.

A sleeveless summer amauti for sale on Facebook.

Summer amauti.

Amautis are everywhere here.  In fact, I don't think I could leave the house without seeing women wearing them. JJ had a young girl as a patient last week (about 2 years old) who had a doll stuffed down the back of her t-shirt.  She didn't have a child-size amauti, so she was copying her mother the best way she could. I don't think you would ever see a child anywhere outside The North do that. 

All amautis are beautiful, and I could fill pages with photos of them.  Unfortunately, many people don't appreciate strangers hanging out of car windows, or stalking them on the street, taking photos of them and their children to stick up on the internet. (I don't want to be that crazy qallunaat tourist.) A lot of the photos for this post are from the Iqaluit Sell/Swap Facebook site (not the little cutie. She went to music camp this summer with Coraline and Captain Jack).  I did managed to sneak some "stealth" shots of a couple of people.  I figure they are Ok to include because no one's face is showing.

Waiting to get into the fall fair.

At the fall fair--love the huge hood and bold lime color.

Another at CJS's school Halloween function.

Apologies to my blog followers who couldn't care less about fashion.  Tough it out, maybe I can eek out a post on hunting for you guys.  Or snowmobiles.  Also, JJ just got back from his stay in Kimmirut.  Can I get him to write another blog post about his adventures there? Stay tuned and find out!