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25ARTSCULTUREMOOSEHIDETANNINGTuesdayOctober72014BuddingtannerstaketimetotakeontraditionMoosehidetannersspendlongdayslearningage-oldprocessByMEAGANWOHLBERGAfternearlytwoweeksoftanningmoosehidesthetraditionalwaystudentswhocametoFortSmithfromacrosstheNorthtotakepartinanintensiveworkshoparealmostreadytotakehometheirrstsmokedhidesscrapedandsoftenedbytheirownhandsfromstarttonish.Eightdevotedtrainees-myselfincluded-gatheredattheNorthernLifeMuseumandCulturalCentreoverthelast10daystolearnthetraditionalmethodsBasilandMarleneTourangeauhavebeenusingtotantheirownhidesforyearsandwillspendacouplemoredaysthisweeknishingtheprocess.Basillearnedhiswayoftanninghidesfromhismotherasaboybutstoppedafterherpass-ingin1980.Itwasntuntil2006thatherevealedtohiswifeMarlenethatheknewhowtotan.WellletstanahideshesaidsowestartedtanninghidesafterthateveryyearBasilsaid.Sincethenthecouplehaveturnedoutthreeorfourhidesayearworkingattheirownpaceandturningthesoftbrownmaterialintojacketsmoccasinsandotherclothingfortheirfamily.Thereissomethingaboutthesmellandfeelofatraditionallytannedhidethatcantberep-licatedbycommercialcopycats.Afcionadosandartisansalikecertainlyknowwhichtheypreferbuthavingaccesstosmokedhides-andthebeautifulproductsthatusethem-isdecreasingasfewerpickupthescrapertokeepthetraditionalive.ThatswhyMarlenesaidsheandherhus-bandwanttokeepthetraditionalive.Idliketopassitontosomebodywhowillcarryitonshesaid.Mykidsarenotreallyinterested.Theyveseenmedoitbuttheyg-ureitstoohardofwork.ButiftheywantedtodoitIdshowthem.Itsdyingout.Lastweektheduodecidedtoimparttheirknowledgeonusakeenanddiversegroupofnewbieswithlittleexperienceandalotofheartatacamphostedbythemuseuminpart-nershipwithSmithsLandingFirstNation.SomelikeDelmarGillaretireefromHayRiverwhonowlivesinB.C.hadbeenwaitingforanopportunitylikethisforyears-Ivegotaboutsixpairsofmoccasinsathomewithholesinthemthatneedxinghesaid-butcouldnevermakeithappenwithhisworkschedule.OtherslikeCaroleAugereauoriginallyfromFrancehadneverplannedtotantheirownhidesbutjumpedatwhatseemedlikeaonce-in-a-lifetimeopportunity.Ijustthoughtitwouldbeagreatexpe-riencetoexperiencesomethingthatIhadneverdonebefore.Itseemedlikearareop-portunitythatIshouldntmissshesaid.Iwasoneofthosenaiveandambitiousnew-biesnotknowingwhattoexpectonthecoldautumnmorningIarrivedtoapileoflonglogsandafewtubsofsmellysoakinghides.Eversincecomingnorththreeyearsagoandbecomingmoreexposedtothebeautyoftradi-tionalcraftsIhadcultivatedadeeprespectforwhatseemedtobeanunfathomablycomplexactivity.Iwantedtodeepenmyunderstandingoftheintensityeveryonetalkedaboutwhenre-ferringtotanningandcomeoutwithsomethingImademyself.IwaslookingforteachingsandhardworkandIsuregotboth.ThereshardworkandthentherestanningWithonly10daysscheduledtochurnoutfournishedhidesamongthestudentsworkbeganquickly.Itiscommonknowledgethattanningishardworkbutitsnotuntilyourhandsareswollenandcrampedshutandyourbackandshouldersburnwithpainthatyouactuallyun-derstandjusthowmuchworkitistoturntheweteshyskinofawildanimalintoworkablefabric.Atthisworkshopwestartedfromscratch.Coldmorningsaremadewarmwhenchoppingnotchesinlogstobuildtheframesthatwillstretchyourhidefordayssupportingyouandseveralothersasyoupileontoptoscrapethemclean.Thenbeginstheeshing.Usinggorgeousandefcientbonetoolswedescendeduponthebloodyfattymessinourrainpantsandrubberglovesandbegantofollowouronlyinstruc-tionhitit.Fortwowholedaysthestabbingmotionpeeledthewhitefatmembraneandchunksofremainingmeatoffourfourhidesandsentushomesorewhilethehidesdried.WiththehardestpartoverwelearnedfromBasilandMarlenethattherearealotofhard-estparts.Scrapingisoneofthem.Gravitatingnowtowardshandledmetalbladeswetookoffthedrymembraneleftbehindleavingthehidewhiteandsoft.Afterdaysofthisweturnedthehidesoveranddidthesameforthehair.Stepbystepwemovedthroughthepro-cessofsofteningsoakinganddryinguntilwewerereadytosmokeourhidesoverthepileofsmolderingrottensprucethatwehadpickedfromthebushourselves.Wewatchedourcreationsturnagoldenbrownandremarkedonthenoticeableimprovementasweprogressedfromhidetohide.OurrsthidewassoholeyBasilsaiditwouldlikelygettoheaven.Andtheframebrokewhilescrapingoursecondhidedelayingtheprocessbyhalfaday.Butlettingusmakingmistakesishowourteacherssaidwehadtolearn.Youlearnfromyourmistakes.YoudontforgetafterBasilsaid.TakingthetimeDedicatingsuchabigstretchoftimetoataskliketanningisaskingalotinthemodernagebutitsworthittokeeptheknowledgealivere-ectedYvonneDoolittleoneoftheworkshopparticipantswhotookthetimeofffromherjobinYellowknifetocomedownfortheworkshop.Itsimportanttolearnawholeprocessfromeldersshesaid.AsworkingpeopleyoujustdontevermakesureyouhaveenoughtimeandIwantedtomakesurethatIcouldcomeandseethefullprocessfromstarttonishfromsomepros.Afterspendingdayinanddayoutwithoneanotherweallhavebigplanstostartourownhides.Doolittleplanstosharehernewfoundknowledgewithherownkidswhiletrans-formingherbackyardintoatanningstation.DvonneDesjarlaishasahidewaitinginherfreezernowforthespring.Andallofuswanttoseeourgroupwhichweagreedwassosup-portiveandambitiouscomebacktogetherinthespringwhenwehavemorehidestodoandwhentheweatherisabitmorecooperative.WellsendoutamessageDoolittlesaidItsscrapingtime.PhotosMeaganWohlbergDvonneDesjarlaiseshesmoosehidewithherbonetool.Afteroveraweekofhardworkwepauseforagroupshotwithourrstmoosehidebeforewegetitreadyforsmoking.CaroleAugereausoftensthewethideusingmetalstraps.Theteamworkshardintotheeveningtoscrapethehairofftwoofthefourhidesbeforedark.