Search

The Amauti

nooscorner
Mar 24, 2016
2 min read

The Amauti is a traditional parka worn by the inuit people of the Eastern Canadian Arctic. The Amauti features an inbuilt baby carrying pouch, called an amaut, which is suitable to wear a child in from birth to toddlerhood (usually up to age three). The pouch is located just below the hood so at times it can appear that the baby is actually carried inside it, instead the hood is enlarged so that when raised it can cover both mum and baby. Some women have worn the Amauti back to front so that their child is worn close to their chest allowing easier monitoring and ease of breastfeeding on the go. The parka is designed to keep the child warm and safe from frostbite but, as with all babywearing devices it also helps to nurture the bond between mother and child. The Amauti design features a sash to be tied around the waist which stops the child from slipping down to low in the pouch. Although traditionally a form of elimination communication would have been favoured an emergency 'nappy' of moss would often be put in the bottom of the pouch to soak up accidents.

The Amauti is traditionally made from caribou or seal skin but modern parkas use synthetic and more modern materials. It is designed so that the child needs to only wear indoor clothing with a hat and mittens and the tail of the Amauti is traditionally calf length to allow for sitting on the snow and ice in relative comfort. They provide protection and warmth in temperatures up to -40°C. More modern Amauti, designed to appeal to non indigenous women have a shorter tail, but please know the Amauti is a culturally protected design and only a traditional seamstress will be able to make one, and each Amauti takes around 24 hours of work to make. You can order from various traditional inuit makers today, each is custom measured and made. The designs vary from region to region and until recently the rich knowledge was in great danger of drying out. In 2001 the first National Consultation with inuit women in Canada occurred with the agenda of protecting intellectual property rights, traditional knowledge and cultural property. This has allowed the Amauti design to be protected and passed on for many years to come.

Images thanks to amautibaby and the Library of Congress.