A series of 9 films in 21 half-hour parts. These films examine the traditional lifestyle of Netsilingmiut living in the area of Kugaaruk before the European acculturation.
The Netsilik of the Pelly Bay region in the Canadian Arctic had long lived apart from other people and had depended entirely on the land and their own ingenuity to sustain life through the rigors of the Arctic year.
The filming was done during the summers of 1963 and 1964 and in the late winter of 1965 under the ethnographic direction of Dr. Asen Balikci of the University of Montréal, assisted by Guy Mary-Rousseliere, O.M.I., both anthropologists of wide Arctic experience. Quentin Brown was Producer-Director, and Kevin Smith the Executive Producer for the series. A minimum of cultural reconstruction was required during the filming; the Netsilik families readily agreed to live in the old way once more and showed considerable aptitude in recalling and representing the earlier ways of life.
All videos are in color, with the natural sounds of the region and of the activities depicted, but with no voice other than those of the people on screen. The films were originally released in 1967. The effect of this film series is that of a field trip where students can observe traditional ways at their leisure and form their own impressions. The pace is unhurried; many of the activities are shown in close detail.
The films are useful for courses in economic anthropology, development of technology and North American aboriginal cultures, in general studies of the circumpolar culture area, as well as for high school and upper elementary grades.
Films in the Netsilik series
At The Autumn River Camp
At The Caribou Crossing Place
At The Spring Sea Ice Camp
At The Winter Sea Ice Camp
Building a Kayak
Fishing at the Stone Weir
Group Hunting on the Spring Ice
Jigging for Lake Trout
Stalking Seal on the Spring Ice
Note on Term "Eskimo":
The films in this series make use of the name "Eskimo." While once broadly applied, it is a perjorative term and considered offensive. While the inception of the word is a matter of debate, it is no longer used or applied in our film catalog. The context in which the term appears in this series is an acknowledged relic of a colonial past, presented in its original version. DER apologizes for any offense caused.
