How To Use A Ulu Knife

Traditional all-purpose knife of Inuit, Yupik and Aleut women

An ulu in the western Arctic mode

An ulu (Inuktitut: ᐅᓗ, plural: uluit, 'adult female's knife'^[1]) is an all-purpose knife traditionally used by Inuit, Iñupiat, Yupik, and Aleut women. It is utilized in applications as diverse as skinning and cleaning animals, cutting a child's hair, cut nutrient and, if necessary, trimming blocks of snow and water ice used to build an igloo.^[2]

Name [edit]

In the Nunatsiavummiutut variety of Inuttitut, which is spoken in Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador), the word is spelled uluk , and in Tunumiit (Eastward Greenlandic) information technology is sakiaq or saakiq .^[one]

The following nautical chart lists both Eskimo-Aleut terms also as two terms for the aforementioned tool in Athabaskan languages, which are an unrelated linguistic communication family spoken by non-Inuit-Iñupiat-Aleut Alaska Natives.

language	singular	dual	plural
Yukon-Kuskokwim Yup'ik	uluaq	uluak	uluat
Chevak Cup'ik (a Yupik language)	kegginalek	kegginalgek	kegginalget
Nunivak Loving cup'ig (a Yupik language)	ulluar
Iñupiat (Iñupiat language)	ulu ~ uluuraq
Inuvialuktun (Western Canadian Inuit linguistic communication)	ulu
Inuktitut (Eastern Canadian Inuit linguistic communication)	ulu ( ᐅᓗ )		uluit
Inuttitut (an Eastern Canadian Inuit language)	uluk	ulok	uluit
Greenlandic (Western Greenlandic Inuit language)	ulu		ulut
Tunumiit (E Greenlandic Inuit Language)	sakiaq ~ saakiq
Koyukon (an Athabaskan language)	tlaabaas
Holikachuk (an Athabaskan linguistic communication)^[3]	tthamas

Materials [edit]

Traditionally the ulu was made with a caribou antler, muskox horn or walrus ivory^[iv] handle and slate cut surface, due to the lack of metallic smelting technology in the Chill.^[5] The handle could also be carved from bone, and forest was sometimes used when it was available. In certain areas, such as Ulukhaktok Northwest Territories, copper was used for the cutting surface.^[6]

The modern ulu is nevertheless often made with a caribou antler handle simply the blade is normally fabricated of steel. The steel is often obtained past purchasing a mitt saw or wood saw and cutting the blade to the correct shape. A hardwood chosen sisattaq is besides used for handles. Uluit are often home made, merely at that place is also an industry of commercially produced uluit, sometimes fabricated with a plastic handle and consummate with a cutting board.

Usage and styles [edit]

Feast of muktuk with uluit in use: The woman on the right is using an ulu to cut muktuk; a larger ulu is lying on the cardboard in front end of her. (1997)

The size of the ulu typically reflects its usage. An ulu with a v cm (2 in) blade would be used every bit part of a sewing kit to cut sinew or for cutting out patterns from animal skins. An ulu with a fifteen cm (6 in) bract would be used for general purposes. Occasionally, uluit can be found with blades as large as 30 cm (12 in).

The ulu comes in iv singled-out styles, the Iñupiat (or Alaskan), Canadian, Westward Greenlandic and Due east Greenlandic. With the Inupiat fashion ulu the blade has a centre piece cut out and both ends of the blade fit into the handle.^[7] In Canada the blade more oftentimes is attached to the handle past a unmarried stem in the middle. In the western areas of the Canadian Arctic the blade of the ulu tends to be of a triangular shape, while in the eastern Chill the ends of the bract tend to be more pointed.^[8] ^[9]

The shape of the ulu ensures that the force is centered more over the middle of the blade than with an ordinary pocketknife. This makes the ulu easier to use when cut difficult objects such as bone. Because the rocking motion used when cutting on a plate or board with an ulu pins downward the food existence cut, it is also easier to use an ulu one-handed (a typical steak knife, in contrast, requires a fork).

Ulu knives are sometimes used for purposes other than their original intent. Because of their cultural symbolism throughout the Arctic, they are sometimes presented to people who accept accomplished significant things, such as sports or education. Specifically, the Arctic Winter Games presents aureate, silver, and bronze uluit to successful athletes, acting in identify of a medal.

History [edit]

Uluit have been plant that engagement back to as early on as 2500 BCE. Traditionally, the ulu would be passed down from generation to generation. Information technology was believed that an ancestor'southward cognition was contained within the ulu and thus would also be passed on.

Legality [edit]

Some countries, including Canada, prohibit the possession or carrying of knives where the blade is perpendicular to the handle (intended to limit the use of so-chosen "push button daggers"). Nonetheless, regulations passed under the Criminal Lawmaking^[10] specifically exempt the "aboriginal 'ulu' pocketknife" from this prohibition.^[11]

Uluit are not allowed as carry-on on commercial airline flights in the US, though they can exist in checked numberless.^[12]

Gallery [edit]

Westward Greenlandic (Kalaallit) ulu
East Greenlandic (Tunumiit) ulu
An ulu from Alaska
19th century Italian knife for meat ( mannaia tritacarne ), resembling an ulu and having a similar function

Encounter also [edit]

Mezzaluna
Tumi
Scraper

References [edit]

^ ^a ^b "Ulu". Asuilaak Living Lexicon . Retrieved 2009-02-08 .
^ The Ulu: Chemistry and Inuit women'south culture
^ Kari, James. 1978. Holikachuk Substantive Dictionary (Preliminary). Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Middle. [1]
^ Bering Ocean Eskimo Walrus Ivory and Atomic number 26 Semi-Lunar Knife 'Ulu' (Inuit 1800 to 1900)^{[ permanent dead link ]}
^ "Culture.ca - Nadlok - Glossary - Ulu". civilization.ca . Retrieved xv October 2015.
^ "Ulu with a musk ox horn handle." British Museum.
^ "External image on the Inuipat style ulu". Archived from the original on 2006-06-15. Retrieved 2006-01-02 .
^ "Culture.ca - Nadlok - Artifacts - Ulus". culture.ca . Retrieved fifteen October 2015.
^ Various uluit
^ Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46, south 117.fifteen.
^ "Regulations Prescribing Certain Firearms and Other Weapons, Components and Parts of Weapons, Accessories, Cartridge Magazines, Armament and Projectiles as Prohibited, Restricted or Non-Restricted, SOR/98-462, Schedule, Function iii, s 9". canlii.org . Retrieved 6 May 2019.
^ "Souvenir ulus amongst items most defenseless at TSA checkpoint in Fairbanks". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner . Retrieved fifteen October 2015.

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Eatables has media related to Uluit.

Collection of uluit in the National Museum of the American Indian
Images and descriptions of uluit and other Inuit tools and article of clothing at McCord Museum
Video showing the employ of an ulu
Various items about uluit at Civilization.ca^{[ permanent dead link ]}