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Article: Inuit ingenuity finds a warm reception; The Arctic musk ox provides warmth and welcome income to several generations of women in remote Alaskan villages.(FEATURES)(HOMEFRONT)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- October 2, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Gerry Watkins Special to The Christian Science Monitor
Inuit women in Alaska have been turning straw into gold for more than 30 years. Their "straw," however, is actually hair, musk ox hair, which has created some golden opportunities.
In the 1960s, Arctic natives faced debilitating poverty. Hunting and fishing no longer provided a living for families in remote villages, so the men had to leave their homes for summer jobs. Additional sources of income were desperately needed.
Anthropologist John J. Teal Jr. sympathized with the Inuit and wanted to find a way to use natural Arctic resources as a solution. He decided the musk ox was best ...