Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Two young boys play a traditional finger-pulling game, likely in or near Unalakleet, Alaska. This 1950s film clip captures a moment of play and friendly competition.
In the game, competitors sit facing one another. They hook the middle knuckles of their middle fingers and, at the signal to begin, pull steadily. The goal is to force the opponent to straighten their arm or break the finger lock while maintaining one's own grip and braced position.
Finger Pull is one of several traditional Northern Indigenous strength games that historically helped develop skills needed for everyday survival. The grip, strength, and endurance required mirror the physical demands of hauling heavy seals onto the ice or securely grasping slippery fish by hand. Today, Finger Pull remains an important traditional strength game, featured at the Arctic Winter Games and the NYO (Native Youth Olympics) Games Alaska. The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO) also preserves and celebrates many traditional Alaska Native games and athletic traditions.
Source & Format
Color, silent, 16mm film
Machetanz Collection (AAF-976)
Alaska Film Archives
Repository
The Alaska Film Archives is a unit of the Alaska and Polar Regions Collections & Archives Department, Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Contact
If you have additional information or can help further identify what’s seen here, we welcome your insights. Please contact us using the information in the “About” section.
Support the Alaska Film Archives
The Alaska Film Archives appreciates your support. Donations of any amount help us preserve and share Alaska’s audiovisual history. Visit the “About” section of our YouTube channel to learn how you can help. Thank you!
Two young boys play a traditional finger-pulling game, likely in or near Unalakleet, Alaska. This 1950s film clip captures a moment of play and friendly competition.
In the game, competitors sit facing one another. They hook the middle knuckles of their middle fingers and, at the signal to begin, pull steadily. The goal is to force the opponent to straighten their arm or break the finger lock while maintaining one's own grip and braced position.
Finger Pull is one of several traditional Northern Indigenous strength games that historically helped develop skills needed for everyday survival. The grip, strength, and endurance required mirror the physical demands of hauling heavy seals onto the ice or securely grasping slippery fish by hand. Today, Finger Pull remains an important traditional strength game, featured at the Arctic Winter Games and the NYO (Native Youth Olympics) Games Alaska. The World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO) also preserves and celebrates many traditional Alaska Native games and athletic traditions.
Source & Format
Color, silent, 16mm film
Machetanz Collection (AAF-976)
Alaska Film Archives
Repository
The Alaska Film Archives is a unit of the Alaska and Polar Regions Collections & Archives Department, Elmer E. Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Contact
If you have additional information or can help further identify what’s seen here, we welcome your insights. Please contact us using the information in the “About” section.
Support the Alaska Film Archives
The Alaska Film Archives appreciates your support. Donations of any amount help us preserve and share Alaska’s audiovisual history. Visit the “About” section of our YouTube channel to learn how you can help. Thank you!
