When we moved to Alberta last fall, Naomi was able to start learning about hunting with her Uncle Richard. She got to go out with him a few times, but you don't skin a deer out in the field. You only do the "field dressing" which involves taking out all the deer organs. But once when we were in Calgary already, he was just coming back from a hunt and Naomi got to go help him skin the deer in his garage. At the time I told Richard I would love to try to tan a skin, so he saved all his deer hides from the hunting season in his freezer for me.
Last weekend while in Calgary, I picked them up to bring back to Lethbridge. I hadn't guessed how much space they would take up. Most skins I have seen and worked with have been goat skins. They have some fur, but not nearly as much as a deer. Richard's deers had the thickest most beautiful hair. So while they weren't as heavy as the volume of the bag they were in led me to think they would be, they did not fit in a rubbermaid bin the way I thought them might. No matter, we just put each one in a large black garbage bag and threw them in the back of my van frozen.
Once in Lethbridge, 3 skins went back into my freezer and 2 were put in bins of water to soak and thaw overnight. I had to weigh the skins down in the water with big rocks so they wouldn't just float on top of the water and not get fully saturated.
The next day I had to make sure I had all the right tools for the first job: fleshing the skin. This is where you scrape off any meat, fat and membranes that are stuck to the non-hair side of the skin.
I got out on-line to find a fleshing knife. The only place I could find in Lethbridge that have one was Markman Guns and Sports. But they had one, so off I went to purchase it.
You also need a slightly rounded surface to work on. When Leo used to prepare his own goat skins for his drums, he had made himself a nice fleshing workstation with a piece of old water main pipe. So off I went to drive around and find a construction site where the might have some scrap pieces hanging around. Not far from my house the City was replacing a underground sprinkler system in a park. I parked and walked over to the workers and asked if they had any old pipe I could take. And indeed, they did. What great luck. It was not a pipe with as big a diameter as I would have liked, but I thought it would do the trick.
Back home I went where Leo sanded the sharp edges, drilled holes into it and fastened it to a 2 by 4 so we could clamp in on his workhorse.
We put some bricks under one sideo the workhorse to tip it at an angle, and we added some large patio paving stones at the bottom of the workhorse to weigh it down, and voila. I was ready to go.
The last thing, I needed a bucket to drop all the scrapings off into. And the hose, so I could spray the dogs away when they got too close to my workstation, hoping to help me by chewing on the ends of the deer skin hanging down as I worked. What torture for them not to get to help. Can you spot the dog below, desperate to chew on the skin?
Mary Johnson
I do not know which of your talents to admire the most: taking photos to put up on the blog, writing the text, the thrift of finding items you need at new construction sites, or acquiring a fleshing knife (I give you knives are tools women work with often, but I think more in the category of paring knives). You did not learn any of these at the foot of your mother.
ReplyDeleteMy first question is, what are you going to use the skins for? Are you going to make Indigenous hand drums? shoes? a lovely deer skin dress (I saw some patterns on-line)? a purse? wallets? Are you also keeping track of the hours this takes? I want to price out the cost per hide -- after you have collected all of the tools
ReplyDeleteThe end product will be beautiful soft leather. I have no idea what I will do with it. I had the privilege of doing my first ever indigenous beading on brain tanned moose. It is like butter. The teacher and other more experienced beaders told us newbies that we were being spoiled with this beautiful leather as it is so easy to work with and push a needle through. I will have to put up a picture of my end product. so maybe I will start doing some beading. Likely whatever I make will be gifted as I rarely keep things for myself.
DeleteWhen did you do indigenous beading? Were you taking a course? Maybe you will use some of your leather for that. I was imagining all sorts of clothing for your skins: moccasins (starting at $100 online), shirts (would look good over Rhiannon's shredded jeans), and that three skin dress I saw on-line with all if its fringe? I can just imagine some fancy-dancer in it. I wonder while you are in Lethbridge, if you will ever go to any more pow-wows. Such a great chance to get a taste of bannock and a chance to feel the wind in one's hair and watch the sundancers.
DeleteSo reading this is just like having a fabulous trip to Lethbridge. Between you and Richard, you are going to get high marks for using every part of the animal. Maybe for this year he could also bring in the hooves because I am sure I have seen them as part of the music (timpani) during indigenous music making. I don't know if I will really do this, but I can feel some you tube research on this subject, bubbling up in me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your comments Arta!
ReplyDeleteI am getting so excited about using the skins. And I am not even there in Lethbridge, nor doing any of the work. I just looked up traditional three skin Plains Indian dress. A great pattern. I am noticing that the skin is to be moisten with baby oil. And then I found a skirt made of deer skin and knew it would be worn by Naomi. How cool would that be. Someone would say, where did you get that skirt, Naomi ?and she would say, oh my mother tanned the hide for me over the weekend.
DeleteMary, I am thinking about your comment that you rarely keep things -- that you give them away. I wonder if you would like a pouch to keep files in, made of deer skin. Or how about a really nice purse. I have seen fabulous women's belts that hang down like a work belt that a carpenter might use -- just gorgeously ornamented. I would be happy to take anything you make, just if people are getting in a line-up for that.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am really thinking about is this: Isn't there anything you would make could keep for yourself. I know there is a lot of perceived harm in that: a giving person ever making something and keeping it for herself.