Snow goggles

Known as Iggaak in the Inuktitut language of the Eastern Arctic, and nigaugek among the Yup’iks of Alaska, snow goggles were an important part of people’s equipment.

They were traditionally fashioned from wood, bone or caribou antler, and sometimes walrus ivory.

They bear witness to the ingenuity deployed by Inuit to survive in a harsh environment. In the Arctic, ice and snow cover the land and sea for almost nine months of the year, reflecting and intensifying the sun’s rays. This glare can cause inflammation of the cornea, resulting in a painful and dangerous condition known as snow ophthalmia.

These iggaak or nigaugek prevent ultraviolet rays from burning the retina.

What’s more, they improved hunters’ central vision by suppressing peripheral vision.