The Eskimo about Bering Strait

Bloodletting is commonly practiced to relieve inflamed or aching portions of the body. Corpses are placed in a sitting position, wrapped in grass mats or deerskins, and bound tightly with rawhide cords. Burial is underground, with the deceased's artifacts placed in the box. In ancient times, the Unalit band placed their dead on the open tundra. If a "loathsome" disease preceded death, the deceased may be placed on a sled and be abandoned away from the village. If the deceased is a shaman, certain different burial customs are observed, e.g., no one in the village works for three days. A photograph and sketches accompany the text, which describes the mortuary practices of several bands of Eskimos. Excerpts only.