The Yukon Eskimo
THE LIVING
As with the Indians farther up the river, the necessities of the writer's journey did not permit more than visual observations, but in 1927 Henry B. Collins, jr., succeeded in measuring six adult males at Marshall.
In general, the people of the Yukon delta and from this to Paimute are true Eskimo. By this is meant that in the majority of individuals they can readily be told as a type apart from the Indian and belonging plainly to that of the extensive family of the Eskimo. But when the differences are to be defined the task is not easy; some of the distinguishing marks, though well appreciated, are somewhat intangible.
The physical differences are essentially those of the physiognomy. The head is neither narrow nor scaphoid, or even very high. The Indian face is more prominent and more sculptured; that of the Eskimo appears fuller, especially in the lower part, and flatter. Part of this is due to the bony structure, part to the differing amounts of fat. An eversion of the angles of the lower jaw, which is relatively frequent and sometimes excessive in the Eskimo male while almost absent in the Indian, may give the Eskimo face almost a square appearance. Take with this the seemingly somewhat low Eskimo forehead, the not very widely open and somewhat on the whole more slanting eye, and the characteristic Eskimo nose with its rather narrow and not prominent nasal bridge, the ridiculous monk-like cut of the hair (in the older males), the often rather full lips with, in the males, a tuft of sparse mustache above each corner of the mouth; add to all this a mostly smiling or ready-to-smile "full-moon" expression, and it would be impossible to take the subject for anything else than an Eskimo. The Indian's face is more set, less fat, in the males at least, less broad below, with seemingly a higher forehead, sensibly made-up hair, not seldom a bit more mustache, and a nose that generally is both broader and more prominent.
But the differences are less marked in the women and still less so in the children, especially where similarly combed and clothed. And there are, particularly on the Yukon, not a few of both Indian and Eskimo who even an expert is at a loss where to class. They may be due to old mixtures; no new ones are taking place; but it seems that there may be present another important factor, that of a far-back related parentage.
In the color of the skin and eyes, in the color and nature of the hair, there is no marked difference between the two peoples of the Yukon. In stature the Eskimos are slightly higher.
MEASUREMENTS ON LIVING YUKON ESKIMO
The exact provenience of the six men measured at Marshall is uncertain, but they seemingly were all from the lower Yukon and all were apparently full-blood Eskimo. But the measurements are rather peculiar. They are given, for comparison, with those of the western Eskimo in general (p. [165]). They approach nearest to those of the Togiak Eskimo, well down below the Kuskokwim. They show a higher stature than all of their relations farther south, except the Togiaks, and they have a rounder head. They are, in fact, moderate brachycephals, a very unexpected form in this strain of people. The Togiaks also are brachycephalic. The vault is relatively somewhat higher than it is in the other groups, though the height is not excessive. The nose is slightly lower as well as narrower than it is in all the other contingents. The face is close to those of St. Lawrence Island. The ear is perceptibly smaller and especially narrower than elsewhere, but perhaps the age factor enters into the case. The hand is much like that of Togiak and St. Lawrence, the index being identical.
The brachycephaly of the group for the present is hard to explain. It can not be ascribed to a mixture with the river Indians, for these, as has been seen from the skulls, were meso- rather than brachycephalic. There is need here for further inquiry.
SKELETAL REMAINS OF YUKON ESKIMO
As with the Indian, such remains are still rare. Some measurements of three "Smithsonian Mahlemute" skulls from the Yukon, collected by William H. Dall, are given by Jeffries Wyman, and probably the same specimens appear in the Otis Catalogue, the measurements in which are regrettably not very reliable. These specimens can not now be located, and the scarce data are of but little value. The three skulls examined by Wyman were all mesocephalic.
It is now possible to report on 40 adult skulls from the lower Yukon and the delta. An abstract of the measurements is given in the next table. The data indicate a considerable local variation. All the skulls, or very nearly all, are mesocephalic; but they differ considerably in height and in all the facial features. The Pilot Station group, from the apex of the delta, and hence the midst of the Eskimo territory on the Yukon, is especially peculiar. Both the vault and the face, in the series as a whole, range from low to high, and much the same is true of the height of the nose and that of the orbits, while the palate is exceptionally broad, giving a low index, all of which would seem to indicate instability or conditions in change, together probably with admixtures from farther up the river. We need more material, particularly from the stretch of the river between the apex of the delta and Paimute.
| 17 males | 23 females | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot Station | "Lower Yukon" | Kashunok (of Yukon) | Kotlik and Pastolik | Paimute | Pilot Station | Kashunok mouth | Kotlik and Pastolik | |
| Number of adult skulls | (3) | (1) | (2) | (11) | (1) | (3) | (1) | (18) |
| Collector | —— | [42] | [43] | [44] | [44] | —— | [43] | [44] |
| Vault: | ||||||||
| Length | 18.90 | 18.8 | 18.45 | 18.44 | 18.7 | 17.80 | 18.7 | 17.72 |
| Breadth | 15.07 | 14.2 | 14.10 | 13.90 | 14 | 14 | 13.9 | 3.62 |
| Height | 13.77 | 13.7 | 13.65 | 13.60 | n. 13.5 | 13.20 | 12.4 | 13.04 |
| Module | 15.91 | 15.57 | 15.40 | 15.31 | 15.40 | 15 | 15 | 14.81 |
| Capacity | 1,660 | 1,535 | 1,468 | 1,486 | 1,442 | 1,359 | ||
| Cranial index | 79.7 | 75.5 | 76.4 | 75.4 | 74.9 | 78.7 | 74.3 | 76.8 |
| Mean height, index | 81.6 | 83 | 83.9 | 84.1 | n. 82.3 | 83 | 76.1 | 83.2 |
| Height-breadth, index | 91.4 | 96.5 | 96.8 | 97.8 | n. 96.4 | 94.3 | 89.2 | 95.8 |
| Face: | ||||||||
| Menton-nasion | 12.40 | 12.67 | 11.90 | 11.82 | ||||
| Alveolar point-nasion | 7.85 | 7.1 | 8.25 | 7.78 | 7.40 | 7.49 | ||
| Diameter bizygomatic maximum | 14.97 | 14.4 | 14.25 | 14.13 | 13.47 | 13.90 | 13.26 | |
| Facial index, total | 82.4 | 90.1 | 89.1 | 89 | ||||
| Facial index, upper | 52.2 | 49.3 | 57.9 | 55 | 55 | 56.5 | ||
| Orbits: | ||||||||
| Mean height | 3.58 | 3.55 | 3.80 | 3.67 | 3.54 | 3.50 | 3.62 | |
| Mean breadth | 4.07 | 4 | 3.91 | 3.98 | 3.89 | 3.80 | 3.86 | |
| Mean index | 87.7 | 88.7 | 97.1 | 92.3 | 91 | 92.1 | 94.1 | |
| Nose: | ||||||||
| Height | 5.27 | 5.05 | 5.65 | 5.53 | 5 | 5.50 | 5.19 | |
| Breadth | 2.57 | 2.15 | 2.28 | 2.51 | 2.33 | 2.45 | 2.31 | |
| Index | 48.7 | 42.6 | 40.3 | 45.4 | 46.7 | 44.5 | 44.5 | |
| Upper alveolar arch: | ||||||||
| Length | 5.70 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.57 | 5.40 | 5.45 | ||
| Breadth | 7.40 | 6.6 | 6.65 | 6.70 | 6.60 | 6.38 | ||
| Index | 77 | 81.8 | 81.2 | 83.4 | 81.8 | 85.4 | ||
| Basi-facial diameters: | ||||||||
| Basion-alveolar point | 10.35 | n. 10.3 | 10.15 | 10.40 | 10.17 | 10.09 | ||
| Basion-subnasal point | 9.07 | 9.4 | 9.10 | 9.17 | 8.80 | 8.90 | 8.86 | |
| Basion-nasion | 10.60 | 10.8 | 10.15 | 10.41 | 9.97 | 10.20 | 9.98 | |
| Facial angle | 70 | 74 | 66 | 68 | 67 | 67 | ||
| Alveolar angle | 55 | 60 | 60 | 52 | 52 | 53 | ||
| Height of lower jaw at symphysis | 3.63 | 3.75 | 3.67 | 3.56 | ||||