WEBVTT 00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:13.972 My name is Eddie Pashagumskum. 00:00:17.142 --> 00:00:24.858 I was born inland and that is where I learned things 00:00:25.483 --> 00:00:29.446 My parents were also from there. 00:00:30.071 --> 00:00:39.456 That is where they were born. That is where I grew up. 00:00:40.081 --> 00:00:44.377 What I would like to talk about is how important some things are. 00:00:44.961 --> 00:00:49.174 The Eeyou things. There are some very important things for the Cree. 00:00:49.174 --> 00:00:52.427 I will talk about Cree culture. 00:00:52.427 --> 00:00:58.600 One of the things I will talk about is caribou hide; 00:00:59.184 --> 00:01:05.648 I will talk about the caribou and tell you why it is highly regarded. 00:01:06.858 --> 00:01:14.199 Moreover, I will tell you what the hide is used for and the importance of it. 00:01:14.199 --> 00:01:17.994 Why it is so respected. 00:01:17.994 --> 00:01:25.168 When they say "Mishinituuhuuwin" it’s one of the most important things. 00:01:25.168 --> 00:01:36.012 It’s considered to be the reason for one's survival. 00:01:36.012 --> 00:01:47.065 The caribou hide was highly respected, the way it is handled is important. 00:01:47.065 --> 00:01:51.986 Sometimes when one kills a caribou, 00:01:51.986 --> 00:01:59.702 they already know what they will use it for, how they will use the caribou. 00:02:00.370 --> 00:02:04.791 The many uses of the caribou hide are: 00:02:04.791 --> 00:02:13.633 making mocassins, mittens or clothing. 00:02:13.633 --> 00:02:21.224 Another way it is used is to make snowshoes. 00:02:22.016 --> 00:02:31.442 The snowshoe was highly respected, more important than anything else. 00:02:31.901 --> 00:02:38.950 It was highly regarded because when someone doesn’t have snowshoes, 00:02:39.117 --> 00:02:44.164 they’re not able to do anything. 00:02:45.707 --> 00:02:54.549 In addition, they could not stay in one place; they had to travel from one place to another. 00:02:55.216 --> 00:03:00.013 Staying in one place wasn’t sustainable for survival; 00:03:00.013 --> 00:03:05.643 food was scarce when they stayed in the same place. 00:03:06.603 --> 00:03:12.984 This is why people traveled a lot, to look for other places to stay. 00:03:12.984 --> 00:03:23.703 And when one wanted to travel, they really needed the snowshoes, 00:03:23.703 --> 00:03:29.667 they couldn’t do anything without them. 00:03:30.460 --> 00:03:39.469 The cleaning process is vital. 00:03:39.469 --> 00:03:47.936 This is where the caribou hide needs to be handled with care. 00:03:47.936 --> 00:04:08.081 Taking the hair and the meat off, the part between the meat and the inner part of the skin 00:04:08.706 --> 00:04:15.171 This is the part of the caribou where the hide sticks to the meat and the inner part of the hide. 00:04:15.171 --> 00:04:20.635 When taking it off, one needs to be very careful. 00:04:20.635 --> 00:04:26.391 This part of the process needs to be handled with caution. 00:04:26.599 --> 00:04:36.567 You want the "uutimiskii" to come off easily, soaking it or saturating it in water. 00:04:36.567 --> 00:04:42.699 This is done right away before the start of the process, even before the hairs are taken off. 00:04:42.699 --> 00:04:49.872 Before scraping off the hairs, the hide is dampened then folded, making sure it is all damp. 00:04:49.872 --> 00:04:59.799 When it is damp, you have to make sure it’s damp on every surface of the inner side of the hide. 00:04:59.799 --> 00:05:02.510 This makes it easier to scrape off the hairs off. 00:05:02.510 --> 00:05:09.350 The inner side of the hide "uutimiskii" easily removes when it is kept wet for a while. 00:05:09.642 --> 00:05:20.320 Another thing about the caribou hide is that it cannot stay unclean for a long period. 00:05:20.320 --> 00:05:33.124 In the old days, people would clean it as soon as possible. 00:05:35.001 --> 00:05:43.051 When kept unclean for a long period, it makes it harder to work on it. 00:05:43.051 --> 00:05:48.973 The hair and the “uutimiskii'' are stuck on the hide. 00:05:48.973 --> 00:05:53.144 When this happens, it’s difficult to clean the hide. 00:05:53.144 --> 00:06:02.695 This is why it needs cleaning as soon as possible if it’s to be used, the matter the use. 00:06:02.695 --> 00:06:09.660 It’s very important that this is done that way. 00:06:09.660 --> 00:06:16.084 There are many steps required to finish the process. 00:06:16.084 --> 00:06:26.886 When used for clothing, there is a different process after the flesh and hair are removed. 00:06:26.886 --> 00:06:43.611 It’s soaked in water, sometimes they mix something with the water to make it soft like cloth; 00:06:43.611 --> 00:06:59.043 they mix the water with something oily, one of the things they use is caribou brain. 00:07:00.002 --> 00:07:10.179 They use water or caribou brain or something else. They did not have much in the old days. 00:07:10.179 --> 00:07:21.190 The brain mixture called "witipih aapuuyi" is used to prevent the hide from burning. 00:07:21.190 --> 00:07:26.946 It also helps to make it soft. 00:07:28.197 --> 00:07:35.788 Once this is done, there is no risk for it to burn, when the mixture saturates into the hide. 00:07:37.081 --> 00:07:46.966 To make the hide softer it has to be dried and stretched while it is warm 00:07:46.966 --> 00:07:53.723 so the mixture saturates into the hide. 00:07:53.723 --> 00:07:59.437 This is how it becomes soft. 00:07:59.979 --> 00:08:11.657 They use this mixture so the hide will not burn. That is why it is soaked in it 00:08:11.657 --> 00:08:18.539 It’s called "wihtihpi aapuuyi", that’s how my mom called it. 00:08:19.832 --> 00:08:28.966 Mostly women handled and used the caribou hide. 00:08:29.967 --> 00:08:44.023 It’s as if they know what beautiful crafts and clothing to make by sewing it. 00:08:44.023 --> 00:08:59.580 Knowing how to sew, women knew what material was good to make what they wanted. 00:08:59.914 --> 00:09:10.007 Everything that is used for the cleaning process is made from the caribou such as 00:09:11.467 --> 00:09:19.850 the tool used to scrape off the hairs... it has to be done very carefully. 00:09:19.850 --> 00:09:28.234 To make clothing with the hide, the cleaning process is done differently, it is done differently. 00:09:28.651 --> 00:09:36.534 They also make strings to lace snowshoes with them. 00:09:36.993 --> 00:09:44.208 Making the strings has to be done very carefully. 00:09:44.208 --> 00:09:51.799 One way to do this is by warming it, but sometimes caribou hide is frozen. 00:09:52.091 --> 00:10:07.148 Defrosting it needs to be done with caution, for it not to be hot. And for it not to burn. 00:10:07.857 --> 00:10:19.577 Caribou hide burns very easily; it's just like oil, when oil gets hot. 00:10:19.577 --> 00:10:26.208 To understand what I am saying is: how fast ice cream melts. 00:10:30.588 --> 00:10:38.679 This is how it is, when you want to eat ice cream, sometimes you don’t want it to melt. 00:10:38.679 --> 00:10:40.890 You eat it fast before... 00:10:43.768 --> 00:10:48.981 Using metal…using metal is no good. 00:10:48.981 --> 00:10:51.734 Using bone… 00:10:54.070 --> 00:10:59.867 Using bone is good, it’s sharp, but it does not cut when you do this. 00:11:00.618 --> 00:11:04.622 The hairs are scraped off. 00:11:04.622 --> 00:11:11.545 This is how it is done. 00:11:13.631 --> 00:11:23.724 It does not cut the part you want to preserve when you scratch it. 00:11:23.724 --> 00:11:30.940 The part that needs to be handled very carefully is the outer part, the side where the hair is. 00:11:31.315 --> 00:11:35.736 That’s where it needs to be handled carefully. 00:11:35.736 --> 00:11:42.743 When it’s scratched, this is where the string breaks, so there is no use for it. 00:11:42.743 --> 00:11:53.212 It’s the same with the caribou hide that has not been cleaned, when it’s still raw. 00:11:54.880 --> 00:12:11.689 It easily burns, and when it’s burnt, there is no use for it, it cannot be used. 00:12:12.231 --> 00:12:20.531 The work that is put into the caribou, there is a lot of work put into it. 00:12:20.531 --> 00:12:26.704 When it scalds, there is no use for it. The string, which was made from it, is the same. 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:34.503 It breaks very easily, when it is pulled on it breaks. 00:12:35.171 --> 00:12:41.218 It’s like when you over cook something and it’s very tender. 00:12:41.218 --> 00:12:47.516 The hide rips very easily; it’s very fragile when it’s burnt. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:56.567 Also when scraping off the hair, 00:12:56.567 --> 00:13:10.623 the part that’s under the hair called "wituuii" has to be scraped off along with the hair. 00:13:12.333 --> 00:13:19.131 It’s unwanted on the hide. 00:13:22.218 --> 00:13:30.684 This is called "mihchihkuun" (flesher), I call it "mihchihkuun". 00:13:30.684 --> 00:13:37.691 It’s made from bone, we make it from bone anyway we want to. 00:13:41.529 --> 00:13:50.371 It’s pointed, so fleshing the inner part of the hide has to be done carefully not to scratch the hide. 00:13:50.371 --> 00:13:53.582 That’s why this is good. 00:13:53.582 --> 00:14:01.674 Metal is used but it’s not as good. It can scratch the hide, 00:14:01.674 --> 00:14:08.848 it’s said when a metal flesher is used it makes abrasions on the hide. 00:14:09.557 --> 00:14:16.105 But when a bone flesher is used the hide does not scratch. 00:14:17.356 --> 00:14:28.826 It scratches easily when it’s done this way but the way it’s done is: 00:14:28.826 --> 00:14:37.167 a tall round pole is used to hang the caribou hide 00:14:37.167 --> 00:14:44.842 and this tool is used to take off the flesh "uutimiskii". 00:14:45.593 --> 00:14:56.729 Making laces out of the hide is done the same way, the flesh is scraped off. 00:14:57.313 --> 00:15:04.945 When cleaning the hide, no one wants to make abrasions on the hide. 00:15:04.945 --> 00:15:11.869 As I said; the laces break easily if there are any scratches on the hide. 00:15:12.411 --> 00:15:21.170 Making this "mihchihkuun" (flesher) is done with caution, this is made very pointy. 00:15:21.170 --> 00:15:35.726 It makes it easier to take off the flesh when it’s moved like this. 00:15:36.143 --> 00:15:43.567 Sometimes it moves the wrong way, this is when someone scratches the hide. 00:15:43.567 --> 00:15:46.570 The string breaks where the abrasions are on the hide. 00:15:46.570 --> 00:15:50.950 You don’t want this to happen. 00:15:51.742 --> 00:15:56.830 It probably doesn’t show, 00:15:56.830 --> 00:16:14.264 but there are very small teeth, right here where the sharp edge is. 00:16:14.264 --> 00:16:20.854 The reason for this is, doing this makes it go straight; 00:16:20.854 --> 00:16:28.988 it doesn’t go this way so it doesn’t make abrasions. 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:42.292 That’s why it’s important to make these teeth, if they aren’t there, it goes sideways then cratches the hide. 00:16:43.961 --> 00:16:52.302 This is why you have to be careful when making laces with the hide. 00:16:52.845 --> 00:16:59.810 When one wants to use it to make clothing, it’s done the same: 00:16:59.810 --> 00:17:03.105 scraping off the hair, scraping off everything. 00:17:03.105 --> 00:17:12.114 If the "wituui" is not all scraped off, it looks black. 00:17:12.114 --> 00:17:21.999 When making clothing out of it, it has to be scraped off well. 00:17:23.042 --> 00:17:31.967 Once the hide is prepared, it will look and feel like cloth. 00:17:31.967 --> 00:17:41.769 When it is done properly, the hide is very soft, when it’s soaked. 00:17:43.479 --> 00:18:02.581 The laces I mentioned are taken care of cautiously; they are still very prone to be burnt even though laces 00:18:03.332 --> 00:18:17.971 The laces are soaked in lukewarm water when they are ready to be used, 00:18:17.971 --> 00:18:29.358 be very careful not to use hot water. 00:18:31.652 --> 00:18:34.321 My name is Bobby Pashagumskum. 00:18:34.321 --> 00:18:38.700 I would like to talk about this... this is how it was done. 00:18:38.700 --> 00:18:41.411 This is slit in the middle like this. 00:18:41.411 --> 00:18:48.377 This is what was used… It looked like this. 00:18:48.919 --> 00:18:54.466 The part that was in there was taken out, it’s called "wiini". 00:18:54.466 --> 00:19:04.643 It was taken out, sometimes people would eat it right away. 00:19:04.643 --> 00:19:08.188 Also it was said that it was used as medicine. 00:19:08.188 --> 00:19:14.862 Wherever one had pain, they would rub it while it’s raw. 00:19:15.404 --> 00:19:25.873 This part that’s in there, called "wiini" was taken out, it was slit. 00:19:25.873 --> 00:19:32.838 It was used for snowshoes and laces. 00:19:32.838 --> 00:19:37.843 It was used to make "amihkw" which is used to lace... 00:19:37.843 --> 00:19:45.184 "amihkw"…there were many uses for this bone. 00:19:46.143 --> 00:19:53.859 And this one, there is some fat in here, this is called "wiiyishtihchihkinaanikin". 00:19:53.859 --> 00:20:01.450 This is another way one would get something to eat. 00:20:03.202 --> 00:20:07.539 This is the knowledge people had; 00:20:07.539 --> 00:20:13.462 here’s where they would look for it… it’s not there. 00:20:14.755 --> 00:20:21.303 The thing is usually here, they would make it hum. They called it "tuushuupisiiwikin". 00:20:21.303 --> 00:20:25.766 I was told not to make noise with it. The weather will not be nice. 00:20:25.766 --> 00:20:33.357 In the winter, I was told “there will be a blizzard”. This is what I was told but I did not listen. 00:20:33.357 --> 00:20:36.568 I had to try. 00:20:36.568 --> 00:20:42.032 Whenever we were here, I remembered what I was told. 00:20:42.032 --> 00:20:45.285 In the summer when it was very hot, 00:20:45.285 --> 00:20:51.333 I tried it but the weather did not change. 00:20:53.252 --> 00:20:56.964 This is the only thing I wanted to talk about. 00:20:56.964 --> 00:21:04.388 Another thing: this is called "uumichishchin", right here. 00:21:05.222 --> 00:21:14.648 The bone is like this, I saw someone use this. 00:21:14.648 --> 00:21:19.611 There were many uses for it, 00:21:20.404 --> 00:21:32.207 such as lacing snowshoes, 2 or 3 of these were used as bags, it’s called "wishkaachaauwit". 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:41.133 These are called "wishkaachaauh"(the hide on the legs of the caribou) it’s called "wishkaachaauwit". 00:21:41.466 --> 00:21:47.973 This was good to put knives and crooked knives, so nobody would hurt himself. 00:21:52.102 --> 00:22:00.193 Sometimes one would use this as a bag, they would sew many of them together, 00:22:01.403 --> 00:22:08.160 they call it "wishkaachaauwit", this is what I what I wanted to talk about. 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:16.084 What he talked about was the same thing I did. This is the only thing I wanted to talk about. 00:22:16.877 --> 00:22:24.760 When one manages to get to this part, using an axe and wood, 00:22:25.510 --> 00:22:34.102 they split it but they have to sharpen the axe again. 00:22:34.102 --> 00:22:46.281 When not used, they would only hit it here, and take the fat. 00:22:47.741 --> 00:22:49.242 This must be it. 00:22:49.242 --> 00:22:51.536 Making a hair scrapper "pishkuuhchikin". 00:22:51.536 --> 00:22:57.751 Yes, making a scraper out of it, that’s what they did, they would split it 00:22:57.751 --> 00:23:04.174 but if someone only wanted to take the fat, they would pound on it and make this pointy. 00:23:04.174 --> 00:23:12.724 When someone has a file or a knife, they would do it like this. 00:23:12.724 --> 00:23:15.977 That is how they sharpen it. 00:23:21.483 --> 00:23:29.616 Caribou bone is good to use, they said moose bones are weaker, they’re softer. 00:23:29.616 --> 00:23:37.332 This is the hind leg. 00:23:37.332 --> 00:23:43.463 This is also a hind leg, from a moose. 00:23:43.463 --> 00:23:49.261 This is the back of the leg, this is what is used. 00:23:49.261 --> 00:23:54.015 The front leg is short. 00:23:56.643 --> 00:23:59.729 This is how it’s sharpened. 00:23:59.729 --> 00:24:03.817 That was not the only use for it. 00:24:06.820 --> 00:24:12.033 They used it as a skinner “mihchihkuun” 00:24:12.033 --> 00:24:19.082 also to skin a beaver they used the “mihchihkuun”. 00:24:19.082 --> 00:24:24.629 This is the bone, caribou bone and moose bone. 00:24:24.629 --> 00:24:31.261 This is the front leg bone. See, it’s shorter. 00:24:31.261 --> 00:24:34.514 This is the moose leg. 00:24:36.975 --> 00:24:46.401 Its hide is harder to handle, if talking about the moose hide I would use this. 00:24:47.444 --> 00:24:57.579 Moose hide is tougher to clean; this is why it’s made like this, made differently. 00:24:58.455 --> 00:25:05.128 This is caribou, used for smaller things, also used to skin beaver. 00:25:07.130 --> 00:25:16.681 Moose hide is tougher to clean, a heavier skinner is used. 00:25:16.932 --> 00:25:31.905 It’s made like this in order to tie it here to help it be stable, for it not to move sideways. 00:25:31.905 --> 00:25:39.996 This is what I meant when I said it scratches when it moves like this, it has teeth here. 00:25:40.413 --> 00:25:50.006 This is why it is like this, a heavier one is needed. 00:25:54.010 --> 00:25:56.680 That’s why it is larger. 00:25:56.972 --> 00:26:06.147 Last thing, there’s hair here, they are called "uuchistuushihtaan piiwii", you probably see them. 00:26:07.691 --> 00:26:11.194 There’s a legend that says 00:26:11.194 --> 00:26:15.657 if there are this many hairs it would be an early summer. 00:26:15.657 --> 00:26:18.743 but I think our summer will never come, 00:26:18.743 --> 00:26:22.122 it has too many of them.