Snow scraper
Antler
Inuit snow scraper made from caribou antler
This snow scraper was made by Inuit peoples using a piece of caribou antler that is well-shaped for its job. It is from Uqsuqtuuq, a small Inuit town on King William Island, Canada. Uqsuqtuuq is known in English as Gjoa Haven. The town was a harbouring place of Arctic explorer Roald Amunsden's ship Gjøa in the early twentieth century, and was named 'Gjøahavn' by Amunsden, which means 'Gjøa's Harbour'.
Snow scrapers are used to clear away snow that settles around doorways, vehicles and paths. In the harsh cold environment above the Arctic Circle such tools are important necessities.
Museum object number
See related topic: World Collection: War and Hunting
'The Gjøa Expedition (1903-1906)', an article from The Fram Museum in Oslo.