Having now given a general description of the clothing of the Nenenot, I
may proceed to describe the process of preparing the skins of which this
clothing is made. The skins of the deer, which are to be converted into
buckskin and parchment, are laid to one side in a heap, just as they
came from the bodies of the animals or after they have gone through a
process to be subsequently described.
When the skins have laid in this heap for several days decomposition
sets in and loosens the hair so it will readily pull out. When the pelt
is ready for scraping it is thrown over a round stick of wood some 3 or
4 inches in diameter and 3 or 4 feet long, one end of which rests on the
ground while the other is pressed against the abdomen of the woman who
is doing the work. Then she takes a tool like a spoke shave (Figs. 102,
103, No. 3162) made from the radius of the deer, by cutting a slice off
the middle part of the back of the bone, so as to make a sharp edge
while the untouched ends serve for handles, and with this scrapes off
the loosened hair.
The sharp edge of the bone instrument coming against the hairs pushes or
pulls them out but does not cut the skin.
The flesh side of the pelt is now worked to free it from particles of
flesh and blood, together with as much of the moisture in the skin as
may be hastily done, for if the person has a great number of skins to
attend to she must work rapidly lest they decompose too much and
putrefy.
[Illustration: FIG. 104.--Skin-cleaning tool. Nenenot.]
Where the hunter has great success in killing deer many of the skins are
left untouched because there is no one to attend to them and they are
thus wasted.
When the pelts of the deer or other large animals have been taken from
the carcass they are allowed to dry with the adherent flesh, fat, and
ligaments until a convenient opportunity occurs to remove those portions
from the skin, which must be moistened to permit them to be more readily
scraped off. If the fresh skins are to be cleaned immediately, they are
operated upon in the same manner as those previously dried. All the
skins of fur-bearing animals and those furnishing skins for clothing and
other purposes must be scraped, otherwise they would soon be soiled by
the infiltration of the fat among the hairs.
To remove the adherent particles on the flesh side of the skin a
peculiar instrument has been devised. The tibia, or large bone of the
hind leg of the reindeer, is used for this purpose (Fig. 104). The
peculiar shape of the bone renders it particularly well adapted to form
a combination of saw, chisel, and gouge at the same time. The lower
portion of the bone is cut squarely off. A part of one side of the
remainder is cut so as to leave one side (the inner side of the bone) in
the shape of a chisel, having either a straight edge or else slightly
rounded. On this edge are cut a number of fine notches, which give the
edge of the instrument a serrated form. Some of the bones have a
spatula-shaped piece of iron or steel cut with the serrations upon it
and the metal piece set in the cavity of the bone. If the leg of a deer
is not convenient a wooden handle shaped like the long handle of a
mortising chisel is fashioned, and to it is affixed the metal point by
means of stout lashings (Fig. 105). Around the upper portion of the
wooden shaft a notch or groove is cut, and in this is tied a stout thong
in such manner as to form a loop to prevent the hand from slipping down
the smooth bone when the blow is struck.
[Illustration: FIG. 105.--Skin-cleaning tool, iron-bladed.
Nenenot.]
The manner of using this instrument is peculiar and effective. The skin
is thrown, with the flesh side up, over a stake 2 or 3 feet high driven
firmly into the ground. The person kneels down before the stake, and
when the skin is placed so as to afford a convenient portion to begin
upon, an edge is taken between the fingers of the left hand and lifted
slightly from the ground. A blow is given with the tool which separates
the subcutaneous tissue, and by rightly directed blows this may be
separated from the skin entire. The skin is then laid aside for further
working. The subcutaneous tissue is washed and dried, after which it is
used for a variety of purposes, such as coverings for bundles of dried
meat and other articles.
The skin is worked over with this instrument to free it from a portion
of its moisture and is now ready to receive the tanning material which
consists of a mixture of putrefying brain, liver, and fat. They
sometimes soak the skin in wine, which is reputed to add greatly to the
lasting qualities of the leather, but the odor of that liquid lasts as
long as the skin.
The tanning material is laid on the flesh side of the skin in a thin
layer and by rubbing with the hands it is well worked in. Several hours
or days elapse and the superfluous matter is scraped off. The skin is
then scraped and rubbed between the hands, the harder portions with a
scraper resembling a small scoop, until all the skin is worked into a
pliable condition. If the skin is yet too oily a quantity of powdered
chalk, clay, calcined bone, or even flour, is thoroughly rubbed over it
to absorb any fatty matter yet remaining.
The skins having the hair on, for clothing, or those intended for
buckskin, are treated in this manner. Those intended for parchment are
simply rubbed with a quantity of fat, and then allowed to dry in that
condition, being of a yellowish or pale glue color.
Where a great number of skins have to be prepared, and some of the more
energetic men have as many as two or three hundred buckskins and
parchment skins for the spring trade, a constant application to this
labor is necessary in order to prepare them in season. This, in a
manner, accounts for the number of wives which an energetic or wealthy
man may have in order that the products of the chase falling to his
share may be promptly attended to.
When the skins intended for sale are selected they are bundled up and
covered with parchment skins or the subcutaneous tissue.
The skins intended for use among themselves are generally inferior
grades, such as those cut in the skinning process, or else those
obtained in the earlier or the later part of the season.
A species of gad fly infests the deer, puncturing the skin on both sides
of the spine, and depositing within the wound an egg which in time is
transformed into a grub or larva. These larvæ attain the size of the
first joint of the little finger, and at the opening of the spring
weather work their way through the skin and fall to the ground, where
they undergo metamorphoses to become perfect insects.
A single animal may have hundreds of these grubs encysted beneath the
skin, which, on their exit, leave a deep suppurating cavity, which heals
slowly. The skin forming the cicatrices does not have the same texture
as the untouched portions.
When the skin is dressed it reveals these scars, and of course, the
value of the skin is diminished according to their number. The Indian
often endeavors to conceal them by rubbing flour or chalk over them.
The season when the skins are in the best condition is from September to
the middle of December. The freshly deposited eggs have not yet produced
larvæ of sufficient size to injure the skin, and the wounds produced by
those dropping out in the month of May have healed and left the skin in
condition.
Certain skins intended for special purposes must be smoked. The process
of smoking tends to render it less liable to injury from moisture.
The pyroligneous vapors act as antiseptics and thus at least retard
decomposition of those articles most exposed to wet. The tents and foot
wear are always tanned with the smoke and this process is always
subsequent to that of bringing the skins into the pliable condition.
The process adopted by these Indians in smoking the deerskins is as
follows: The woods are searched for rotten wood of a special character.
It must be affected with a kind of dry rot which renders the fibers of a
spongy nature. This is procured and thoroughly dried. The skins to be
smoked are selected and two of nearly the same size and condition are
chosen, and sewed into the form of a bag with the hairy side within. The
after portions of the skin are suspended from a convenient pole and the
head and neck portions left free or open. To the edges of these is sewed
a cloth, usually a piece of baling cloth, and this is also left open.
The rotten wood is placed in a pan or vessel and as it smolders, never
burning into a blaze, the pale, blue, pungent smoke is allowed to ascend
within the cavity of the deerskin bag. The cloth is merely to form a
conduit for the smoke as the skin should not be too near the fire.
[Illustration: FIG. 106.--Paint stick. Nenenot.]
As the process continues the skins are inspected between the stitches of
the sewing and when the operation has progressed sufficiently they are
taken down. It will now be found that the surface has assumed a pale,
clear brown color, the shade of which depends on the length of the
exposure to the smoke.
[Illustration: FIG. 107.]
The cloth is removed and the skins are immediately folded, with the
smoked side within, and laid away for several days to season. If,
however, the skin be left to the influence of the air the coloring
matter immediately disappears leaving it of a color only slightly
different from what it was before it was smoked.
The scars, made by the larvæ of the insects, do not "take" the smoke as
well as the healthy portions and so present a pitted or scaly
appearance. From the skins having an abundance of the scars are made the
tents and inferior grades of moccasins and the tops of the better class
of footwear.
[Illustration: FIG. 108.--Paint stick, Nenenot.]
The paints used for decorating the buckskin garments are applied by
means of bits of bone or horn of a peculiar shape best understood from
the figures (Figs. 106-110).
Those with two, three or four tines are used for making the complicated
patterns of parallel lines, and are always made of antler, while the
simple form is sometimes of wood.
A block of wood with one or more bowl-shaped cavities cut in it (Fig.
111) serves to hold the mixed paints, especially when several colors are
to be used in succession.
[Illustration: FIG. 109.--Paint stick. Nenenot.]