“ THE PEOPLE OF THE ICE “ INUIT / ESKIMO PEOPLE OF ALASKA 1960S TRUE ADVENTURE TV SHOW 12334

Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Browse our products on Amazon: This black-and-white episode of “True Adventure“ is titled “The People of the Ice” and first aired in 1962. It sheds light on the daily lives of the Inuit/ Eskimo people of Alaska. The episode highlights their living conditions, hunting techniques, song and dance and is composed of footage of these daily rituals and practices. Produced and narrated by Bill Burrud, the film is part of a greater documentary tv series titled True Adventure produced in Hollywood by Burrud’s namesake production company Bill Burrud Productions. Bill Burrud was a child actor and a son of an early travel film producer named Leland Burrud. As an adult, Bill Burrud transitioned from acting into hosting and producing travel-style educational documentary films. Opening credits, fireworks animation (0:14). Host Bill Burrud opening remarks (0:46). Smoke drifts out of chimneys on snow-covered roofs of log cabins (2:13). Daily activities of Eskimo villagers: man wearing Inuit parka carries smoke meat into cabin, man pulls sled of fire wood (2:21). Man places brace on perhaps Alaskan Malamute dog, prepares dogs to pull sled, POV shaky footage as Eskimo man makes his way across snowy plain (3:11). Abraham, a local trapper, wearing fur coat emerges from tent, puts on snow shoes, sunglasses, backpack with rifle and heads out to go check hunting traps (3:59). Abraham follows fox tracks through snow, lays trap (vintage 60s small animal trap with chain and ring) at entrance to fox’s burrowing hole (5:54). Abraham uses rifle to shoot ptarmigan, ties carcass to coat and carries it through snow, encounters red fox trapped, does celebratory dance before returning to base camp (7:01). Abraham, back at base camp, uses hatchet to cut up small logs, twigs for fire wood (8:30). Interior of Abraham’s tent, Abraham feeds logs into old oil drum leftover by US Army used as make-shift oven (8:59). Abraham scoops fresh snow into tin canister to boil into portable water (9:53). Close-up Abraham opening canned and jarred goods (Carnation evaporated milk, Postum instant coffee), prepares coffee, eats filet of dried fish (10:19). Close-up “mukluks/ kamik,” reindeer skin/ seal skin winter boots (11:07). Abraham prepares for bed - takes off copious layers of wool socks, long underwear to prevent from overheating (11:21). Return to POV footage of “musher” viewing dogs as they pull sled through snow, sled piled with logs (12:07). Older Eskimo man emerges from log cabin, surveys snowy surroundings, husky puppies stir from their sleep (12:41). Eskimo children work together sawing at large log, collect firewood (13:15). Elderly Eskimo woman checks on fishing hole, visits another watering hole and pulls out fishing nets, surveys catch of the day (13:58). Man climbs up onto elevated, snow-covered rack and picks out some of frozen meat (15:46). Another man rearranges logs to reveal cache of frozen fish hidden in the snow (15:56). Two ways of preparing fish: man kneels in snow and pounds frozen fish on rock until it breaks into pieces, elderly woman lays fish on rock and uses saw to cut it up (16:34). Young girl poses with puppy, other kids run through snow, pull each other in sleds (17:16). Eskimo family sits on floor for dinner, seal oil dolled out of can onto serving plates, fish and frozen meat dipped into oil, knife used to carve out bone marrow (18:01). Woman uses traditional “ulu” knife to scoop frozen blueberries out of wooden barrel (19:57). Camera pans feet of family revealing different styles, patterns of “mukluks/ kamik” boots (20:20). Festivities begin: man uses carton to make make-shift drum, woman performs traditional dance to song and percussion (20:40). Older man takes to dance floor, tells story of bear hunt through dance moves (21:45). Dog sleds line up, families walk around designated area for dog sled race, crowd looks on as sleds take off into powdery snow (22:48). Bill Burrud in studio joined by Eldon Hutchins (Producer of “Tundra Trails” film on Inuit people of Alaska), Hutchins discusses experience living among Eskimos (24:23). Closing credits (26:26). We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.“ This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit