The Kenneth and Rosalie Drake Collection of Stone and Ivory Carvings Created by Inuit and Cree Artists is comprised of two series organized alphabetically by artist name (when known). In Series 1, carvings made by unknown artists are placed at end of the series, and are arranged alphabetically by title of the carving.
The Kenneth and Rosalie Drake Collection of Stone and Ivory Carvings Created by Inuit and Cree Artists was originally donated to the Byrd Polar Research Center in October, 2000, from Kenneth and Rosalie Drake. The collection was transferred to the Polar Archives in September 2023.
Accession No. PA.2024.0006: Kenneth and Rosalie Drake, 2000 October
[identification of item], Kenneth and Rosalie Drake Collection of Stone and Ivory Carvings Created by Inuit and Cree Artists, SPEC.PA.56.0233, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program, Ohio State University
Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the University Archives reading room only. Contact the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program at polararchives@osu.edu for more information.
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.
Processed by: Casey Blackmore, 2024 May; Finding aid written by: Casey Blackmore, 2024 May
The Inuit are the indigenous people of the Artic and subarctic regions of North America. The Inuit communities today live in the Inuit Nunangat which is loosely defined as “Inuit homeland.” Canadian Inuit live mainly in Northern Canada in the territory of Nunavut, Nunavik in the northern portion of Quebec, the Nunatsiavut in Labrador, and other parts of the Northwest Territories and Yukon.
The Cree are one of largest groups of First Nation peoples. Their communities included areas from east of the Hudson Bay to the west stretching as far as Alberta, Canada. The Cree sustained themselves through hunting, fishing, and foraging wild plants. They followed seasonal animal migrations as a means to hunt and to obtain animal hide and bones for the making of clothing and tools.
Indigenous art has played a role in the economy of Northern Canada. Traditionally, walrus ivory or whalebone was the preferred medium used by indigenous artists. Wood was not available due to the lack of trees in the tundra. While carvings were traditionally viewed as primarily for decoration, in games, or religious purposes, by 1949 the Canadian government encouraged indigenous communities to create carvings for profit and to boost the regional economy. Earlier carvings are typically small and portable, as communities moved areas frequently.
Kenneth and Rosalie Drake were avid collectors of indigeous art and patrons of the Byrd Center and Polar Archives.
The Kenneth and Rosalie Drake Collection of Stone and Ivory Carvings Created by Inuit and Cree Artists contains thirty carvings crafted by Inuit and Cree peoples made from stone and ivory. The carvings depict indigenous people, animals found in the subartic region, or characters found in Inuit and Cree folklore, and were created throughout Canada, including the areas of Hudson Bay, Resolute Bay, and Frosisher Bay.
Some carvings have a specific date identified, which is the date that particular carving was purchased by the Drakes. Carvings for which the date of purchase is unknown are dated covering the full time period the Drakes were known to be collecting these carvings. The Drakes titled each carving; their titles have been maintained in the Polar Archives' inventory and description of the collection.
The Inuit Artists series contains 28 carvings created from stone, ivory, or bone. The carvings depict various aspects of Inuit culture including animals native to subartic regions and characters found in Inuit folklore.
The Cree Artists series contains two scupltures carved from stone. The two carvings depict two geese sitting and a seal. The carvings depict various animals native to subartic regions where the Cree resided.