Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
| www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
June 11 Point Barrow, Alaska
a general inactivity. We went up to the
coffee shop on invitation of Pete Solvalih,
and that really saved the night for it was
pretty cold just standing around. The place
was neat enough, a large room adjacent to
the theatre with 3 chrome dinette tables, a
counter with a row of stools, and a Coleman
store in the center. There was no decoration
on the walls, the Coke supply for the rest of
the season until a supply ship comes in in
July, was stacked along one wall. There were
various eskimos about and the atmosphere
was that of any soda fountain. Coffee
at 15ยข a cup was good. The bunch of us
loafed awhile and then wandered back to
the beach. The Barrow Village Drums
had by then taken their positions in a row,
sitting on a board with feet out front, at
the front of the evening. Behind were 2 rows
of women, with hides nestled in among them.
The 8 drummers each were conditioning
their instruments. The drum is made of
seal stomach stretched over a half inch
deep hoop that is about 18" in diameter.
The drummer holds the drum fan-like
by a 6" long handle in the left hand and
strikes it with a flat thin round stick