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An Eskimo yo-yo or Alaska yo-yo ( esu, yuuyuuk; ik, igruuraak) is a traditional two-balled skill toy played and performed by the
Eskimo Eskimo () is an exonym used to refer to two closely related Indigenous peoples: the Inuit (including the Alaska Native Iñupiat, the Greenlandic Inuit, and the Canadian Inuit) and the Yupik (or Yuit) of eastern Siberia and Alaska. A related thi ...
-speaking Alaska Natives, such as Inupiat,
Siberian Yupik Siberian Yupiks, or Yuits (russian: Юиты), are a Yupik people who reside along the coast of the Chukchi Peninsula in the far northeast of the Russian Federation and on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska. They speak Central Siberian Yupik ...
, and
Yup'ik The Yup'ik or Yupiaq (sg & pl) and Yupiit or Yupiat (pl), also Central Alaskan Yup'ik, Central Yup'ik, Alaskan Yup'ik ( own name ''Yup'ik'' sg ''Yupiik'' dual ''Yupiit'' pl; russian: Юпики центральной Аляски), are an I ...
. It resembles fur-covered
bolas Bolas or bolases (singular bola; from Spanish and Portuguese ''bola'', "ball", also known as a ''boleadora'' or ''boleadeira'') is a type of throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, used to capture animals by ent ...
and
yo-yo A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two cylinder, disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a wikt:spool, spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE. The yo-yo was also ca ...
. It is regarded as one of the most simple, yet most complex, cultural artifacts/toys in the world.Kiana, Chris (2004/2016). ''Original 100 Alaska Eskimo Yo-Yo Stratagems: Instructional Book''. Publication Consultants. ASIN: B007SNYM38. /. and
Keynote Speaker: Christopher (Chris) J. Kiana, M.B.A., MA-RD, Ph.D., candidate
, ''WCSpeakers.com'' (accessed: December 01 2016).
The Eskimo yo-yo involves simultaneously swinging two sealskin balls suspended on caribou
sinew A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of fibrous connective tissue, dense fibrous connective tissue that connects skeletal muscle, muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skele ...
strings in opposite directions with one hand. It is popular with Alaskans and tourists alike.Klistoff, Alysa J. (2007),
Weapon, Toy, or Art? The Eskimo yo-yo as a commodified Arctic bola and marker of cultural Identity
'. University of Alaska Fairbanks. .
This traditional toy is two unequal lengths of twine, joined together, with hand-made leather objects (balls, bells, hearts) at the ends of the twine. The object of the Eskimo yo-yo is to make the balls circle in opposite directions at the same time. Each cord is a different length to allow the balls to pass without striking one another,Eskimo Bolo
", ''ToysfromthePast.com''. Accessed: November 29, 2016.
Morrow, Phyllis (1987).
Making the best of two worlds: an anthropological approach to the development of bilingual education materials in southwestern Alaska
', p.206, n.1. Cornell.
and the balls are powered by
centripetal force A centripetal force (from Latin ''centrum'', "center" and ''petere'', "to seek") is a force that makes a body follow a curved path. Its direction is always orthogonal to the motion of the body and towards the fixed point of the instantaneous c ...
(as they rise the performer pumps down, while they fall the performer pumps up).Walton, Sandra J.
An Inuit yo-yo
, ''Science Experiments on File'' (''FOFWeb.com/onfiles/SEOF''), p.2.
This basic trick may be referred to as the "Eskimo orbit", and the orbit may be performed vertically, horizontally, or (horizontally) above one's head. Other tricks or patterns include atypical beginnings and wrapping and/or bouncing the strings around a part of one's body and then continuing with the orbit. A three-ball version of the Eskimo yo-yo also exists, and this requires all three balls to be moving at the same time. The objects at the end of the string are made in a variety of shapes, ranging from
seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means ...
,
ptarmigan ''Lagopus'' is a small genus of birds in the grouse subfamily commonly known as ptarmigans (). The genus contains three living species with numerous described subspecies, all living in tundra or cold upland areas. Taxonomy and etymology The ge ...
feet and
dolls A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...
, to miniature mukluks and simple balls. The handle may be wood, bone, or ivory, as well as
baleen Baleen is a filter-feeding system inside the mouths of baleen whales. To use baleen, the whale first opens its mouth underwater to take in water. The whale then pushes the water out, and animals such as krill are filtered by the baleen and ...
. Many are plainly decorated; others display elaborate decorations, fine
beadwork Beadwork is the art or craft of attaching beads to one another by stringing them onto a thread or thin wire with a sewing or beading needle or sewing them to cloth. Beads are produced in a diverse range of materials, shapes, and sizes, and vary ...
, and intricate details. The Eskimo yo-yo is bola, toy, and art form all rolled into one. One of their most popular forms of the Alaska Native art are yo-yos. Also, this is a popular tourist art found in gift shops across Alaska. Some shops carry only Native-made pieces, while others, according to Alysa Klistoff, carry imitation pieces made in China. See:
Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-644) is a truth-in-advertising law which prohibits misrepresentation in marketing of American Indian or Alaska Native arts and crafts products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or ...
. Much like the
spinning top A spinning top, or simply a top, is a toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom, designed to be spun on its vertical axis, balancing on the tip due to the gyroscopic effect. Once set in motion, a top will usually wobble for a f ...
(e.g. Maxwell's top), the yo-yo may also be used to demonstrate visual properties such as
optical rotation Optical rotation, also known as polarization rotation or circular birefringence, is the rotation of the orientation of the plane of polarization about the optical axis of linearly polarized light as it travels through certain materials. Circular ...
and circular dichroism.Meloan, Clifton E. and Gere, Dennis (1977),
The use of an Eskimo yo-yo to demonstrate circular dichroism and optical rotation
. ''Journal of Chemical Education'' 54 (9): 577.
Though the early history of the Eskimo yo-yo is not recorded, Eskimos maintain that this game originated as an important and widely used hunting tool made simply with sinew and bones, the bola.Juanita Tukrook
, ''CommunityCelebration.org''. ("First Nation Inupiak elder. Born in Fairbanks, Alaska in a small village called Tanana along the Arctic slope."): "Even when we catch ducks, we use this for a feather duster or you know something in the house. We try to use all parts of the animal. This is um...made from seal and this is called ah...Alaskan yo-yo, Eskimo yo-yo. And this is how you work it. But this is some of the toys I played with growing up." Accessed November 29, 2061.
Donachy, Jack & Barbra (October 8, 2013.
Inupiat (Eskimo) Yo-Yo with Polar Bear Fur
, ''CutterLight.com''. Accessed November 29, 2016.
It possibly evolved on St. Lawrence Island from the similarly constructed sinew and rock bolas used in bird hunting.Applegate Krouse, Susan and Howard, Heather A. (2009).
Keeping the Campfires Going: Native Women's Activism in Urban Communities
', p.103, n.4 (cites Lee, Molly. "Strands of Gold", ''Anchorage Daily News (We Alaskans)''. October 17, 1999, 18-13.). University of Nebraska Press. .
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See also

* Astrojax * Blanket toss * Clackers *
Eskimo bowline The Eskimo bowline, Cossack knot (russian: Казачий узел), reverse bowline, or 'anti-bowline' is in a class of knots known as 'eye knots' or 'loop knots'. The eye is formed in the end of the rope to permit attachments/connections. It ...
* Euler top * Gyroscope * Meteor (juggling) *
Poi (performance art) Poi is a performing art and also the name of the equipment used for its performance. As a skill toy, poi is an object or theatrical prop used for dexterity play or an object manipulation. As a performance art, poi involves swinging tethered we ...
* Whirly tube


Explanatory notes


References


Further reading

* Kiana, Chris (1986). ''Eskimo Yo Yo Tricks: 50 Tricks Instructional Book with Eskimo Customs & Legends Paperback''. H&K. ASIN: B00P0GWUDE. * Kiana, Chris (1997). '' Alaska Eskimo Yo-Yo''. VHS. Takotna Video, Alaska Eskimo Yo-Yo Company Inc. ASIN: B000UFSP8E. * Kiana, Chris (2009). ''Chris Kiana's Educational Eskimo Yo-yo''. DVD. Takotna Video, Alaska Eskimo Yo-Yo Company Inc.


External links

* * * {{Object manipulation Inupiat culture Rotation Traditional toys Yo-yos Yupik culture