A kakivak is an

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

leister A leister is a type of spear used for spearfishing. Leisters are three-pronged with backward-facing barbs, historically often built using materials such as bone and ivory, with tools such as the saw-knife. In many cases it could be disassembled ...

that is used for spear fishing and fishing at the short range. It is comparable to a

harpoon A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument and tool used in fishing, whaling, seal hunting, sealing, and other marine hunting to catch and injure large fish or marine mammals such as seals and whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the t ...

or a

trident A trident is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. The trident is the weapon of Poseidon, or Neptune, the God of the Sea in classical mythology. The trident may occasionally be held by other marine ...

in function and shape. The kakivak is notable for its tip's design, which has three prongs, the outer which have their own teeth which point at the center prong. The teeth are to hold the meat on to the main blade to stop it from falling.

Construction

The kakivak is made of ivory, bone, or antler for the spear, and driftwood, sticks, or rock for the handle. Inuinnait Kakivak

References

{{fisheries and fishing Fishing equipment Inuit tools Harpoons