These texts are extracted from records.

James Kawapit talks about Treating the Caribou.

Bones of the caribou

The other thing that was needed to be told, is how the Cree people used the caribou bones. Before the Cree people used any guns, they used the caribou bones for hunting purposes. They used bows and arrows and they used the bone for the arrowhead. So when they shot the caribou, the arrowhead came off and got stuck inside the caribou.

Also a caribou bone was used for the fishing hook, the caribou antler was used and attach it to the bone from the caribou leg. We call this iyuuguuskan and they used the bones for fishing and hunting for ptarmigan, rabbit and all kinds of game. The caribou bones were used for all kinds of purposes.

They also used the bones for making snowshoes, for the lacing a bone was used for the netting needle (amikuu QHmr) and also for the wadabakhiknaduuk nNQEW$mAFUe$ (an object to reshape the lacing) it was made out of a caribou bone too.

Caribou hide

The first thing that’s done is the caribou skin is soaked in a water or a while, after that the inside part is scraped off. Than the next step is scrape of the hair on the other side of the skin, after that it’s rinsed in a water until all the blood is rinsed out. Then a pole is scraped smooth and that’s where the caribou hide is hanged and a knife is used to scrape all the hair off.

The caribou brain is cooked and after that, the caribou hide is soaked in the broth of the brain, next the hide is held near the heat of the stove and after that it’s stretched by two people and before it’s completely dry the brain is smeared on the hide. When that’s done, it’s hanged near the heat of the stove but, not to close. It’s left to hanged there for a while and it’s stretched again this we say akudabdaknuuch udab QrESEFu% qE@ (the brain is combined into the hide) that’s how the hide becomes very soft.

Sometimes it wasn’t made they way it was usually made after it has completely done, they (Cree people) were very good at it. After the hide was done, it was very white and looked like a white sheet of material and partly the ears were intact to the hide. The hair of the inside part of the ears were not scraped, they were just sliced. After the hide is completely finished, it’s marked there were two kinds of things that was used for the markings. The way I saw it being done was, the ochre (red rock) wiimin was used for the red color and something else was used for the blue color.

After that it’s hanged outside, I usually saw it done when the weather starts to get mild and on a beautiful day with clear blue sky. The meaning for this purpose was like, the game like the caribou saw it’s self how beautiful it was made and felt satisfied. So in return the hunting would be a success in the future. That’s why the Cree people always made the caribou hides very attractive.

When the caribou hide was intended to be used for other purposes like making snowshoes, same method was done for cleaning it and rinsing it until all the blood has be washed out. After that the skin is taken outside and the meaning of askaskunjanuuch Q*R*r&Tu% (stretching the skin  using small sticks and securely stick them under the snow, in a very cold temperature.) After that is done, the skin is scraped using a shaahkwehiikan  NOmnNRmNAF (semi-circular scraper used for hides, pelts)