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Caribou Hide

Skimming the Fat and Removing the Hair

5:05 min. - We use the bone from the animal's hind leg to make a tool that is used to remove the hair, once the fat has been skimmed off.

Transcription

Narrator - While Pelashe skims the fat off the hide, Antoine uses a bone from the animal's hind leg to make a tool for scraping off the hair, once the fat has all been removed.
Pelashe Mark - Removing all the meat and fat gives the hide more flexibility. We wash and preserve the membrane.
The entire caribou is used, nothing is wasted, not even the membrane. We hang the meat up to dry. And to preserve it for a long time, we wrap it in the membrane before placing it in the cache. It might come in handy during winter portages. When we've finished, we make some tea and cook the membrane on a stick near the fire.
Narrator - Once the tool for scraping the hair is finished, we "nourish" it with meat before using it for the first time. It will then have the capacity to cut well.
Skimming the fat off a caribou hide is a very time-consuming activity, involving repetitive tasks. That's why we tend to carry out this activity with as many people as possible.
Pelashe Mark - We dampen the hide with hot water to warm it before scraping off the hair. You have to remove the little black layer on the hide before it hardens.
Marie-Josette Bellefleur - After we've removed the hair, we wash the hide and let it soak overnight. That gets rid of blood stains, and the hide turns white.
Music - Rodrigue Fontaine, Bill St-Onge, Luc Bacon


1 Comment

Chantal 11 years, 11 months ago

WOW WOW WOW !!!

Enfin du vrai ! De la vraie culture indienne avec des vraies outils et un savoir faire transmit. Enfin ça existe encore !!

Merci à ces gens qui l'on partagé, a celui qui a filmé et qui nous donne l'opportunité de savoir !

Mikuenuepastet


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4 Related Video to Caribou Hide

31 Related words or expressions

akutshimakanu mishtikuai
they soak the hide
katshepushtauakanu mishtikuai
we sew the hide to plug up the holes
mamakupetshineu utipaput
mix and knead the hide in the brain mixture to saturate it with the oil
mataikan
scraper
matauakanu
they scrape hides
mautakanua ashinia
to gather stones
minuetshineu mishtikuaia
she folds the caribou hide
mishkutui
drum hoop
mitshitatshenanu
they scrape the hide
mitshitatshikan
scraper
nakashkuauakanu mishtikuai
they keep the hide in the wind
pakutshimakanu
we let the hide dry
pashkuaitshenanu
they scrape a hide to remove the hair
pashkutshikan
they make a scraper to remove hair from the hide
pashkutshikan tshikauanu
he makes a scraper
pashkutshitaku
dry, rotten tree stump
pimikatakanu utipapui
they add a little oil to the liquid brain mix
pitshissinikanu pashkutshitaku
crumble the stump so it dries faster
shash tshishi-uishkushauenanu
the smoking is finished
shikapashkutakanu
they hang up the hide remove excess water
shinipatashkueitshenanu
they use a tool to wring it
shitshipitasheu
he stretches the beaver hide
tshipuapitakanu mishtikuai
they tie up the hide to keep it closed
tshishtikatshenanu
they use stakes to stretch the skin so it will dry
tshishtishkatshikan
stake to keep the hide stretched and off the ground
uashkapeshuakanu mishtikuai
we trim the edges of the hide
uashkashapenanu
cut rawhide sinew strips
uashtekanapissamu ashinia
heat the stones till they’re red
unikutakanu mishtikuai
we hang the hide to smoke it
utamishkai
membrane
utipapui
caribou brain mixed with a bit of water



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