This illustration shows a blanket tossing at the Niagara Camp military training grounds in 1872. This activity was originally practise by the Inupiat and Inuit from the northern communities. They used a seal skin. It was helpful for hunting parties who were scouting the land. Today, it is used by these same groups for celebrations. Over time it has also been used for many army training camps, for recreation or, depending on the regiments, for hazing of new recruits. As you can imagine it could result in injuries and was therefore frowned upon by many officers.