Inuvialuit elders recognized this as a blade for a harpoon head. A harpoon is a type of spear used throughout the arctic for hunting sea mammals. Inuvialuit hunters still use harpoons for hunting seals and beluga whales, although today they are made from modern materials.

A harpoon had several pieces that were carefully made to fit together. Once a seal or whale was hit, the parts separated, and only the head remained in the animal.

The blade was intended to be set into a slot at the end of a harpoon head.