Skip to main navigationSkip to primary content

Seal-hunting game (nattirasunguarutiit)

Mainly intended for young boys, this game has three distinct components: first, a little harpoon, carved from wood and tied to a line and a harpoon head; second, pieces of sealskin, pierced at several points, which represent the seal to be harpooned; third, a seal bone (missing here) with a hole in it to symbolize the seal's breathing hole in the ice (aglu).

This game recreated the harpooning of a seal at its aglu (seal's breathing hole). The pierced seal bone was held a few centimetres above the pieces of seal skin on the ground. To get the seal, the boy playing the hunter had to throw his harpoon through the hole in the bone and hit one of the holes on the seal, while another player moved the seal bone or the pieces of sealskin.

This game was used as a fun way to teach boys how to hunt, by developing their speed, accuracy, and dexterity with a harpoon.

Nowadays, boys no longer commonly play this game.

Picture gallery

Three seal-shaped pieces of brown leather are laid side by side. Each of them has circular holes. Beside them is a small wooden harpoon with a braided line and a bone harpoon head.

Seal-hunting game (nattirasunguarutiit)

Dimensions: Lengths seals : 19-23,5 cm, stick : 24 cm
Three seal-shaped pieces of leather, with circular holes, are laid side by side. Two are shown with the dark brown leather facing up, and the third one, in the middle, with the light brown suede facing up. Beside them is a small wooden harpoon with a braided line and a triangular bone harpoon head.

Seal-hunting game (nattirasunguarutiit)

Dimensions: Lengths seals : 19-23,5 cm, stick : 24 cm