Kakivak

An Inuit Kakivak tip

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. ^[1] The teeth are to hold the meat on to the main blade to stop it from falling. ^[2]

Usage of the kakivak was apparently not restricted to Inuit, as copies were also utilized by Norse settlers. ^[3]

Construction

The kakivak is made of ivory, bone, or antler for the spear, and driftwood, sticks, or rock for the handle. ^{[4] [5]}

A tip of a Kakivak from the Inuinnait culture

References

1. "fish-spear" . Retrieved 16 October 2021.
2. "The tools of our survival". www.avataq.qc.ca/. Avataq Cultural Institute. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
3. 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.
4. "Season 1". www.aptn.ca. Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
5. Rowley, Graham (2007). Cold Comfort: My Love Affair With The Arctic (Second ed.). Montreal: McGill–Queen's University Press. pp. 134, 300. ISBN   9780773530058.