Dene Nahjo's Hide Tanning Camp in July 2016

in July (July 11th to July 29th) Dene Nahjo had a hide tanning camp in Yellowknife and I decided to go and spend some time with them to learn other ways, news things about hide tanning and meet new people. I only spend a week there but it was great and to me entirely successful. I am not trying to document the process and explain how it is done here but as usual I just want to post some just-about-random pictures.

One of things I had never seen done before was cutting the flesh off the edges with a knife before lacing it to the frame. It allows to unlace the hide later on and so you can relace it on a frame should you have to. I like this a lot and I think that I will try to do this from now on.

Then it was laced on the frame as usual.

Because caribou and moose hides were being tanned I got to see the process for caribou hides, much smaller and thinner hides. They were never stretch on a frame. First the were de-haired wet with a knife.

After this is is scraped wet on both side while being stretched on a pole.

In this picture you can see the woman at the back getting the pole she is going to use ready.

Then the hide is dripped dried. You can see how small and thin a hide it is.

All while the moose hides where stretched on a frame and scraped on both sides (first the flesh side, then the hair side)

Quite a few hides were done during the camp and in the tipi hides at various stages were being smoked

I am just posting those 2 pictures because I think that the hides all together look so beautiful.

Some of the people brought the work they had done on hides they had tanned before.

Generally it was a great experience. It was great to hang around dynamic young women, people with similar interest and learn new stuff. I am pleased I went, and just a little sorry I only stayed a week.