Page 140 - J. C. Turner - History and Science of Knots

Inuit Knots 129

[3], F. Boas indicates Inuit manual habits to be similar to those of westerners.
The preference for tying Slip Knots, would thus extend to Inuits. In other
words they have taken the most natural way to produce a loop knot, which
suited their needs. They probably shortcut the method somewhat further by
not forming a complete Slip Knot, but a version as shown in Fig. 16.

Fig. 16. Boas Bowline tying method based on spilling a Slip Knot

Conclusion

All of the foregoing structures have been used by Inuits, the majority of them
since palaeo-eskimoic times. From the material which has been covered in this
paper, we can see that the knots familiar to the Inuit are efficient, relatively
simple, and in most cases globally well-known and quite reliable.
We can see how Inuits use part solutions, such as (Multiple) Overhand
Knots, to produce more involved, often symmetrical composites, such as (Mul-
tiple) Fisherman's Bends, when required. The subtle nature of a knot is quite
treacherous, i.e. it is never approximately correct [1, ##77-791. In fact, as a
rule, it requires some conscious algorithmic effort to get it completely right,
with all crossings correct. The finding, and maintained use, of composite so-
lutions shows active analytical skills.
The Inuit seldom seemed to reach the mechanical limits of their media,
but we cannot infer that they pondered on knot strengths. Knot security,
however, is certainly reflected by their choice of knots. Most artefacts do not
show haphazard conglomerations of Overhand Knots and Half Hitches. The
presence of such constructions would indicate that the rope users have not
understood (or found) simple solutions to their rope problems.
In order to retain the superior solutions to their rope problems, it ap-
pears they must have had a mechanism to eliminate the inferior ones. The
Inuit undoubtedly had access to a high level of accumulated understanding
of the mechanical and structural properties of the knots they chose to use.