Indain Country tools.

[Tom]

When I was still in "training", as an old friend once told me when she was teaching me how to "pound berries", she said that tools and common sence in "Indian Country " were somewhat different than in other places, and was she ever correct.
This link provides a few images of tools that are commonly used for jobs that people have been making for a very long time.

http://www.mpm.edu/wirp/tool.html

Back to my training.,
Mary went and dug a small shallow hole in the lawn, she next took out a piece of moose raw hide and placed it over the hole, she told me to bring that big rock and place it on the raw hide. "Leave in until the am" she said, I looked at her odd she said never mind just do it!
I over time learned don't ask just listen, smile and nod!
The next day the rocks wieght had caused the raw hide to sink into the hole, she said bring that small stone and the bucket of cherries, she said sit down and watch, and I did so.
She placed a few choke cherries on the large stone in the hole and "splat" she hit the small wine coloured berries and cracked the stone, she proceeded to "pound" the berries until the edge of the stone in the raw hide was filled with " Duh-quay- meh-nana" or pounded berries!
She next removed the large stone and the raw hide stayed rigid forming a somewhat "natural" bowl.
Latter we proceeded to cook the berries which was very much the opposit of "pemicaun" more berries than meat.
More than one lesson learned!

[sammarroq]

Tom,

Thanks for the post and link! I am wondering if anyone knows how the snowshoe weaver works? It would be fun to make a traditional pair, but I would have to keep my gortex bootstraps, as they do not come off, like the leather. I love to snowshoe in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota...it is so peaceful and gives one time to reflect and enjoy our beautiful world.

I also noticed the different bows and arrows; I hope to someday learn bowery and make my own. I did find an interesting book by Douglas Spotted Eagle, "Making Indian Bows and Arrows, The Old Way". It is very detailed and talks about all the different types of bows.

Shirley

[dovelady]

Thanks for the story about the stone and the rawhide. You were very blessed to have such a teacher.

[Tom]

Hey ladies, well my late friends are always with me, atleast thier memories are so close.
The raw hide bowl was a real eye opener! Sometime we'll have to pound berries together Barb!
I once told a crowd of listeners that "we waz so poor as kids, that we's used to take popping corn an beat between stones to make our corn flakes!
The snow shoes are a real art form, check out the Attikamek snow shoe, real mindblowers.
I have seen them made and it's alot of interlacing, there is this fellow, Henry Vaillancourt that does fabulous birch bark canoes ( he's on the web) the snow shoe article is there aswell. Check him out!

[dovelady]

<<The raw hide bowl was a real eye opener! Sometime we'll have to pound berries together Barb!>>>

Yes, it was for me too Tom. I haven't heard of doing it that way before. That was just too cool.

I would love to pound berries with you Tom and we could honor our G.grma as we do. We could make up a song in her honor. :)

And ROFL about the cornflakes. Hehehehehe... Nay says, 'Dang you had rocks to pound your corn with! Wow! That was real uptown! You guys waz rich! We just had to stomp on them with bare feet and then shuffle around in a circle to make them flat."

Barb

[sammarroq]

Thanks Tom again for sharing your story...it is wonderful you had such a teacher. Thanks for the tip on Henry Vaillancourt, I will check out his site.:)

Shirley

[sammarroq]

Tom,

Thanks so much for posting about Henri Vaillancourt...I looked up his site...and wow! I have to post the link, I am sure many will appreciate the birchbark canoes, and the woven snowshoes; they are remarkable. Enjoy!:)

Shirley

http://www.birchbarkcanoe.net

http://www.birchbarkcanoe.net/books.htm