• In bright sunlight, snow and ice create a blinding glare.desert of ice #6 image by Dmitry Goygel-Sokol from Fotolia.com
  
  The name Inuit refers to a group of indigenous peoples who live near the Arctic Circle. In addition to the region where they live, Inuit people share cultural and social similarities. The name Inuit includes many smaller communities of people, including the Inupiat in Canada and the Yupik in Alaska, to name only a few. By definition, the names Inuit and Eskimo refer to the same group of peoples, but in Alaska the preferred name is Eskimo, while in Canada the preferred name is Inuit. The snow goggles of the Inuit/Eskimo are largely similar in form and function, the variation comes from the types of materials used and types of decoration included. The goggles do not have lenses, but they effectively protect eyes from snow blindness.
  
  

Materials

• Historically, Inuit goggles were most often created from bone, ivory and antler, depending on what materials were available. In an emergency, goggles could be constructed from animal hide or tree bark. Soot was sometimes rubbed on the inside of the goggles to help with glare-reduction.
  
  

Form

• Inuit goggles all have the same general shape: a curved strip of material that extends from temple to temple and held in place with a piece of cord or rawhide. Small slits or circles are cut in the front of the goggles, allowing the wearer to see while still protecting the eyes from the often blinding reflection of sunlight on snow.
  
  

History and Use

• Inuit goggles predate eyeglasses. Some goggles have been found that are around 2,000 years old. The goggles were primarily used to protect against snow-blindness, but their ingenious construction has been used by NASA to help protect the eyes of astronauts while working in space. One disadvantage of the snow goggles is they greatly reduce the wearer's field of vision, which can cause trouble when trying to travel on the ice in spring.