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Wood Chopping
I was taught to go out early in the morning to chop wood because it’s easier when the air is still very cold.
My dad would say that by the afternoon, everything is ᒌᔥᐳᒪᑲᓐ / ᒌᔥᐳᒥᑭᓐ (full), I was taught to go out early in the morning to chop wood because it’s easier when the air is still very cold.
When looking for firewood, always choose a tree that isn’t twisted. Even a slightly twisted tree is harder to chop.
Another important thing to check is whether the branches are growing straight—this is the kind of tree you want to cut down because chopping will be much easier.
Louise recalls hearing people say, “I see ᐧᐄᔅᒌᐦᑌᐅᐦᑎᒄ / ᐐᔅᒑᑖᐅᐦᑎᒄ (tree drying up) standing over there—that will be good firewood.”
– Louise Mayappo
Before there were axes and saws, a whole log was placed in the fire, and it would slowly be moved toward the fire as it burned. So, it would keep burning. No one wanted to go out and get wood.
Nakaawii told me this story….about women.
When camps were being moved, men took everything except the tarps. They carried what was needed to start preparing the new camp, while the women stayed behind to clean up and pack the tarps.
We never left anything behind
She also told a story about a woman who gave birth in the middle of a frozen lake. She and her family quickly made shelter in the bush. Her grandmother delivered the baby and, as soon as the child was born, she returned the newborn to the mother to keep warm. Instead of resting for a few days, the mother chose to continue traveling.
When they finally reached their destination, the men had already set up and warmed the camp, ready to welcome them.
Small chips or pieces of wood were collected as fire starters—it was part of respecting the land.
– Janie Pachanos
Chopping wood was a daily activity.
It was usually done during the day, preferably early in the morning when the wood was still cold, as it was easier to chop.
It was important to find trees that were drying up ᐧᐄᔅᒌᐦᑌᐦᑎᒄ / ᐧᐄᔅᒑᑖᐅᑎᒄ, as they made the best firewood.
Using an axe made chopping wood easier and it was faster than sawing.
– Eddie Pashagumeskum
It’s actually much easier to chop wood in the winter than in the summer.
In the winter, you have to be especially careful when chopping wood so you don’t injure yourself. You should never hold the wood with your hand while cutting.
When chopping wood—let’s say dry wood—you look for the cracks in the grain. That’s where you chop it. Some people just cut it anywhere, but that’s not the way. There are many twigs—ᐅᑕᐦᑕᐦᑯᓂᓅᐦ—and there’s a proper way to make cutting easier.
Always stand the wood upright when cutting it but be very careful not to hit your foot.
– Matthew Ottereyes
Long ago, chainsaws and wood splitters didn’t exist. Wood was chopped with an axe.
In the winter, it’s very easy to chop wood because it freezes. But in the summer, it’s much harder to chop.
Everyone had their share of work at camp. Gathering and chopping wood was the women’s job, along with staying at camp while the men went out hunting.
The logs were stood upright—ᒥᐦᑐᐦᑳᓐᐦ—before being chopped.
– Ella Neeposh
When getting wood—ᐁᐦ ᓂᑯᐦᑖᓄᐧᐃᐦᒡ—for cooking and making a fire on the stove in the morning, you need to chop the wood.
Black spruce—ᐄᓂᐦᑎᒄ, poplar—ᒦᑐᓯᐦᑎᒄ, and pine—ᐅᔅᒋᓯᐦᑎᒄ—are all good types of wood for making fire.
Tamarack—ᐧᐋᑎᓈᑲᓂᐦᑎᒄ—and black spruce are especially good for cooking on an open fire or roasting—ᐁᐦ ᓴᑲᐧᐹᓄᐧᐃᐦᒡ. Tamarack burns well and gives off good heat.
Birch—ᐅᔥᑯᐃᐦᑎᒄ—is good for making fire at night.
Some wood is twisted and gnarled—it’s very hard to chop and takes a lot of time.
During the cold months, wood is easier to chop. In the spring, though, it becomes much more difficult and takes longer to split.
– Evadney Petawabano
When getting wood—ᐁᐦ ᓇᑯᐦᑖᓄᐧᐃᐦᒡ—tamarack (ᐧᐋᑎᓈᑲᓂᐦᑎᒄ), black spruce (ᐄᓂᐦᑎᒄ), and birch (ᐅᔥᑯᐃᐦᑎᒄ) are all good types of wood for making fire.
I didn’t see cedar—ᒫᔅᒌᔅᒃ—or pine—ᐅᔅᒋᔅᒃ—being cut very often. These types of wood can block your stove pipes.
When it’s very cold, the wood becomes much easier to chop. But you also have to be careful—chips can fly up and hit your eyes.
When building your fire, it’s best to start with dry wood first, and then add the other types afterward.