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Article: Cottage industry pays off for Eskimo women: rural women knit scarves, hats and more using Musk Ox wool and sell it to a co-op for cash that helps provide income for families.
- Article from:
- Alaska Business Monthly
- Article date:
- October 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Alaska Business Publishing Company, Inc. 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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Eskimo women who live in remote Alaska wilderness regions owe a thank you to Arctic Explorer/Anthropologist John J. Teal Jr.
Teal domesticated the musk ox, opening up a whole new world to these women of the North.
It's a rare occasion when two desperate needs can come up with the same winning solution. During the 1940s-'50s, the native wild musk oxen were making a comeback from near extinction. At the same time, coastal Alaska villages faced debilitating poverty and needed outside help to meet basic needs.
The Harvard/Yale anthropologist established the Institute of Northern Agricultural Research in order to create a supplementary source of ...