‘Four men sat on the north beach waiting for some birds to fly through. They were hunting with their bolas. When some ducks flew over, one man threw his bolas, and a duck fell, but it did not have the sling attached. The men raced each other to get to the duck …’ Told by Asatchaq Jimmie Killigivuk, Point Hope 1976.

In the nineteenth century, the Iñupiat hunted many different species of birds (Fig. 1), for a variety of purposes. Meat and eggs were a welcome addition to the diet. Skins were used for winter clothing, while feathers, beaks and feet served as ornaments and amulets.

The main hunting season was in the spring, when large flocks of migrating birds arrive or pass through on the way to their breeding grounds. Their arrival is depicted in many engravings, often as a background to whaling activities (Fig. 2). It signaled the end of the late winter, which in the past was often a period of hunger.

Birds were hunted by men, women and children. The Iñupiat employed a wide range of hunting techniques, including snares, decoys, nets, bird spears, bows and arrows, and bolas (Figs 3-6). A bola (qixamitautit) consisted of several balls bound together with cords of braided sinew or skin. It was thrown at low flying birds, which became entangled in the cords, or were killed by the impact of the balls (Fig. 3). During the nesting season, eggs were collected on cliffs, and adult and young birds were captured with scoop nets.