When you hear “snow goggles”, you probably think of skiing or snowboarding. Goggles are important for winter sports to keep wind, snow, and sun out of your eyes. Of course, the Indigenous peoples of the Arctic are experts in snow and had to manage the snow’s bright reflection for millenia. How did they do it? 

Before foam and plastic ski goggles, there were snow goggles made from wood, bone, and antler. There are hundreds of examples of snow goggles, also called Inuit goggles, and snow visors in museums, and Alaskan Natives continued to use them into the twentieth century. They were universal among the Arctic Indigenous nations including Yup’ik, Iñupiaq, and Athabascan. 

Besides the discomfort of looking at the bright snow, too much exposure was actually blinding. Snow blindness, or photokeratitis, is like a sunburn on your retinas. It happens when eyes are unprotected from the UV rays that bounce off the snow or ice. It was a concern especially for Arctic hunters who would be staring across expanses of icy ground for long periods. 

How did snow goggles work? The wood, antler, or bone would be carved so that two narrow slits allowed minimal light to enter.

The pictured pair were carved in the form of an animal mask, an Arctic fox. It’s possible that the hunter who wore them wanted the stealth and abilities of this Arctic predator. In fact, the snow goggles did not just protect from snow glare; they also helped improve visual acuity, making far off objects clearer. This would have been especially helpful while hunting. Phillip Moses, a Yupik tribal member in Toksook Bay, called them “Yupik prescription sunglasses” in a Smithsonian Magazine article. 

Are you interested in learning more about snow goggles and Alaskan Natives? Check out Native Alaska Unboxed!! You can even use your own snow goggles.