Our Organization
Youth
Adultᐄᓂᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ ᐁᐦ ᑲᑴᒋᔅᑲᑕᐦᐅᑐᓈᓄᐎᐦᒡ
ᐄᔨᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ ᐋᐦ ᑯᒀᒋᔅᑭᑎᐦᐅᑐᑎᓈᐎᒡ
Toboggan Racing
Sled made of tamarack was the best kind to use because it slid well in the snow. ᐧᐋᒋᓈᑲᓂᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ / ᐧᐋᒋᓈᑭᓂᑖᐱᓈᔅᒄ.
When choosing the tamarack for a sled you have to use the part where the sun is ᐊᐱᐦᓱᑦ / ᐊᐱᓲᑦ emitting heat to the tamarack not the opposite of where the sun doesn’t shine to the tree.
An important factor was to make sure that the tamarack tree was standing ᐁᐦ ᐄᔨᐯᑖᐅᐦᑳᒡ / ᐋᐦ ᐄᔨᐹᑖᐅᐦᑳᒡ, which meant that the tamarack tree standing or in a slanted area near the water like a river or lake was a better place to pick a tamarack tree. It was better near the water instead of the dry land.
Another important factor in selecting a tamarack tree was the straightness of its branches. If the branches were straight, the tree was considered ideal for making a sled.
– Louise Mayappo
There were different types of toboggans.
One type had a straight back, and the front was curved and some that were like a half circle.
The women would cover themselves with hides when they were breastfeeding. The women would sit in the toboggan that had a curved back because this is the one that would provide protection from the wind.
Some toboggans were designed to block the wind and cold.
– Janie Pachanos
Long ago, children didn’t play much because we didn’t have toys. The only thing we played with was the toboggan ᓇᐸᒋᐦᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ.
We would take it far out of sight, where no one could see us—but eventually, we would get caught.
The toboggan ᓇᐸᒋᐦᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ was well cared for. If it broke, another one had to be made—and that was something they wanted to avoid.
We didn’t have our own toboggans to play with. We used the ones that were meant for winter journeys ᐱᒥᐱᒋᓈᓄᐧᐃᐦᒡ.