: They are still in use as hunting tools, at least in the Thule District in
: Northwest Greenland. The first strike on a sea mammal must still be made
: with a harpoon from a kayak. I did not get to see any of them in action,
: but I counted over 40 kayaks in Qaanaaq at the end of Narwhal season.
: These are the Polar Inuit, and at least 75% of them live in some part from
: hunting. Because of their isolation I don't think any people from this
: area take part in the kayak championships, so these boats and their
: equipment are strictly utilitarian tools for them.

Ken,

There was a team representing Qaanaaq at the kayak championship in Nuuk. The Polar Inuit are interesting in that according to John Heath, kayaking died out for a time there and was re-introduced by Inuit migrating from Canada. As a result some of their kayaks are somewhat different than what you typically find in SW Greenland, but are becoming more like the SW Greenland kayak over time.

Most of the SW Greenlanders hunt via a rifle and carry a lance, although using a line and harpoon are still used. Hunting with line and harpoon is a very dangerous occupation. Seals, walrus and small whales can pull a harpoon line with such force, that if the hunter fails to toss the line and attached float away from the kayak in time, or if it entangles on the deck, the jolt can be fatal. Maligiaq Padilla's Great Grandfather died in this manner, when his back was broken at sea by the pull of a large seal. Most of the rolls that many folks think of as "tricks" where created to deal with entanglements with harpoon line in various positions, while capsized. I frequently hear people claim that rolling is not a viable rescue and point to the high death rate of the Greenlanders early in this century, as proof. People need to realize than many of these deaths were a result of hunting accidents in kayaks, in bitterly cold water.

There is an interesting link about life in Qaannaq, listed below. The image is of hunters towing a Narwhal home.

Greg Stamer