Knife
Antler and metal
Inuit woman's knife, from Canada
This is an Inuit woman's knife, called an 'ulu'. It is from Kangiqliniq, a small Inuit town on the Hudson Bay in Nunavut, Canada. Kangiqliniq is known in English as Rankin Inlet. Ulus are important tools, given to an Inuit girl when she is young. She is the only person who can use her ulu, and she will keep and use the same one her whole life.
Ulu knives have many uses, including preparing animal skins, cutting meat, making clothing and even cutting blocks of ice. There are two forms of ulu - Alaskan and Canadian. This Canadian ulu has the distinctive triangular blade and a handle made from caribou antler.
Museum object number