In the beginnings, the umiak was both a hunting and traveling craft. Brought by Inuit cultures from Alaska and Canada, it disappeared around 1970. In hunting, the umiak was used for whaling. For traveling, it was used by family members and rowed by the older children or the women. It was a traveling vessel mostly for people without a kayak. The umiak could be paddled but in a favorable wind, it could also be propelled by a square sail. [source] This boat, made traditionally from a … [Read more...]