A kakivak is a leister used by Inuit for spear fishing and fishing at short range. It is comparable to a harpoon or a trident in function and shape. The kakivak is notable for its tip's design, which has three prongs, the outer which have their own teeth which point at the centre prong. The teeth are to hold the meat on to the main blade to stop it from falling.
Usage of the kakivak was apparently not restricted to Inuit, as copies were also utilized by Norse settlers.
Construction
The kakivak is made of ivory, bone, or antler for the spear, and driftwood, sticks, or rock for the handle.
References
- ^ "fish-spear". Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "The tools of our survival". www.avataq.qc.ca/. Avataq Cultural Institute. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- ^ William W. Fitzhugh. "Cultures, Borders, and Basques: Archaeological Surveys on Quebec's Lower North Shore" (PDF). Smithstonian Institute Repository. p. 6. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Season 1". www.aptn.ca. Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- ^ Rowley, Graham (2007). Cold Comfort: My Love Affair With The Arctic (Second ed.). Montreal: McGill–Queen's University Press. pp. 134, 300. ISBN 9780773530058.
