Month: August 2017

I skinned and pulls apart one side of a Swan feet for strips on the shield and the black fish tail.  I used small uluaq (women’s sewing knife) and believe it or not my teeth to pull apart the skin from the joint.  

Next step is do the other swan feet.  After I dry them – I will work on the shield and work around the shield, sewing the squirrels.  I need to find caribou hair for decorative strips that goes with the swan feet.  I have reddish brownish leather for the other strips for the shield.  

While I was at Fish camp – I peeled bark off from an alder wood my brother cut down for smoking the salmon.  When I returned to Fairbanks- after talking with Lolly Carpluk and her mom – I was able to get instructions from Lolly and her mom to do my first experiment of natural dyes.  

By their instructions: I mixed together alder bark, salt and warm water.  I soaked the hairless seal skin into the mix for few days.  I checked it a few times until the desired red color was present.  I will experiment with soaking it in white vinegar first and try the alder dye again or visaversa.