“Cowhide stretches when it gets wet. That’s why moose or caribou hide is better. It stays like it is; it doesn’t change or stretch.” Diane Blacksmith, Ilnu
Preparing a hide to make moccasins takes about three weeks, but the entire curing and tanning process can take months. It involves a number of steps, and weather plays a big role. Roger Wylde, Anishinabe (Algonquin) 1
The best hides for clothing and snowshoes come from yearlings and two-year-olds or cows killed in the fall. The skin of mature bulls is too thick.
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The first step is to get the fat off by scraping the inside, then the hair side. This is done with a round-bladed metal scraper or a flesher made from the middle part of a moose femur.
The hide is mounted on a solid trestle to support it while it’s being scraped. It can also be stretched on a wood frame. The frame needs to be cleaned regularly to minimize odors. It’s best to work outside and not in the summer, to avoid parasites. This is a difficult step and can take up to three full days.
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The hide is washed repeatedly in water until all traces of blood are removed. A creek is best for this; otherwise, a big tub will work.
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1-2. Association des artisans de Manawan, 1973-74
Collection privée de Benoît Ottawa, Atikamek Nehirowisiw
Tanning the hide
When the hide is completely clean, it’s time for the tanning. Tanning makes it softer and keeps it from rotting.
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In the old days, people used animal brains and fat with water to make a soapy mixture. Nowadays we just use unscented bar soap with lard.
Depending on the size of the hide, you crumble up about half a bar of soap and two tablespoons of lard in a 10 liter pot of water. That’s put on to boil for 45 minutes and let cool.
Now the hide is soaked in the mixture for two days, rinsed out, and put in again to soak for one more day.
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The next step is to hang it on a pole, which is made of dry wood with the bark stripped off. You wring out the water and leave the hide outside for two or three months, during the winter. The cold activates the softening process and gets the hide ready to be dried.
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When spring comes or in summer, the hide is rinsed, hung back up on the pole, and beaten and stretched in every direction while it dries. Drying takes a day, sometimes less, depending on the weather.
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1-5. Association des artisans de Manawan, 1973-74
Collection privée de Benoît Ottawa, Atikamek Nehirowisiw
Smoking the hide
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Before smoking the hide, the edges are sewn together to make a kind of pouch that opens towards the bottom. Then you hang it over a fire to smoke it inside and out. This takes about two hours.
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For the smoke a small fire is made with dry, punky wood in a metal pail. Fir, black spruce, and aspen are good woods for smoking.
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1-4. Association des artisans de Manawan, 1973-74
Collection privée de Benoît Ottawa, Atikamek Nehirowisiw
Using other materials
“When I was young, the tops of our moccasins were made of canvas. Later they started making them out of wool, which was warmer. Sometimes for kids the whole moccasin was made of canvas, with just two tucks at the toe. The design was simpler because kids grow fast.” Alexandre Pinette, Innu
“Babies start wearing moccasins at birth. I for one wanted my children to be proud of who they are.” Diane Blacksmith, Ilnu 1
The first step is to make a pattern. Take a big piece of paper and fold it in half so that the two sides match. For the sole, you start with a half-moon and lengthen it out till it’s as long as the wearer’s foot. The top piece will be pointier.
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Now you copy the two patterns onto the leather and cut them out.
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The next step is the decoration, which is generally just on the top piece. You can use embroidery, beads, porcupine quills, or moose hair.
Next you center the two pieces and put a stitch in at the toe to hold them in place. You pull back the top piece so you can fold the sides down easily.
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This is the step where the leather is pleated around the toe.
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For the heel, you stitch the back of the moccasin together and round off the angle till it’s the right shape.
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Now you sew the lining in place around the opening for the ankle.
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The last step is to put the trim around the opening. For summer moccasins, you use leather that’s folded back all around. Winter ones have canvas that comes up the leg a bit.
“I’m in my own world when I do this kind of work. Everything just seems right. But if I feel there’s too much energy buzzing around, I have to stop. The materials are gifts from Mother Earth, so they demand a tranquil spirit. You have to be at peace with yourself.“ Diane Blacksmith, Ilnu
To put on a decorative motif, you start with a pattern to cut out and trace onto whatever you’re decorating. Usually you start with the outline and fill it in after. Decoration, whatever the technique, can take anywhere from an hour to several days, depending on how complex the work is.
Embroidery
Diane Blacksmith, Ilnu
La Boîte Rouge vif archives, 2004
Embroidered appliqués are often used for clothing and moccasins. Today, most people use store-bought embroidery thread. Thread can be two-ply or three-ply depending on how fine you want it. Two-ply thread takes a lot more time to do.
Beadwork
Beads are used often used for jewelry like barrettes or earrings. Moccasins can have appliqué motifs or be beaded all over like the ones powwow dancers wear.
Making porcupine quill appliques
t’s best to wear gloves to pull quills out of the porcupine skin, or use pliers. You can also hit them with a piece styrofoam to pull out several at a time.
After that you soak them in soapy water for a few hours to get rid of any oil.
For leather appliques you file down the barbs and stick them into the leather, using the quill like a needle.
Moose hair decorations
Generally the longest hairs work the best, like those from the back or neck.
You can use plant dye from blueberries, beets, tea, or roots, but store-bought dyes make for brighter colours.
Moose hair can also be made into tufts as an alternative to embroidery. These are bunches of hairs tied up solidly with several knots. You make the tufts you need in the design you want, then sew them onto the fabric or leather. After that, you trim so the hairs are even.
