DINSMORE - In what had to be one of the most unique and memorable presentations ever given to the students of Dinsmore Composite School, or perhaps even students of west central Saskatchewan, three guests were on-site for multiple days to show both kids and staff the intricate process of tanning a moose hide.
Visitors Tommy Bird, along with Lawrence and Lena Adams are First Nations people from Southend, a community in northern Saskatchewan, and they travel throughout western Canada to showcase these impressive and labor-intensive methods that are deep-rooted in Indigenous culture. Staff and students in Dinsmore were lucky to have the trio on hand to demonstrate the work as Bird and company are actually heading way up north to Alaska to share the nearly lost art.
The process of preparing and tanning a moose hide is a multi-day experience, and the trio were in Dinsmore for four days starting on Monday, June 5 to share the entire step-by-step process using traditional items. While there was much to simply see and witness first-hand, the students themselves got involved in the work too, as Grade 3 and 4 students helped Tommy and Lawrence scrape the moose hide in order to get it ready for steps two, three and beyond.
On Wednesday, June 7, this reporter was on hand to witness the smoking process, which saw a smoke pit started before the moose hide was spread around the base of the smoking wood and positioned vertically, creating a tube in which the smoke would permeate the hide in order to give it a striking golden hue.
While the smoke was doing its work, the kids watched Lena work with her eye-catching art, teaching the students about the art of beading to create any number of designs.
On hand to view this day's process at DCS was Marcella Bird, a knowledge keeper with the Sun West School Division who marveled at what she was witnessing with each step along the way.
It wasn't long before the moose hide was finished smoking, with Tommy noting that it's a quick process depending on the level of smoke that one has created. In this case, the hide was done in 14 minutes flat.
"Back when I was a kid, that hide would mean so much to the family," said Tommy. "It would mean food on the table for the hunters, and it would mean that their families weren't going to get cold as the kids were going to get moose hide mitts and mocassins. You might even end up with a nice jacket. You can just make so many things out of natural moose hide."
The four-day event was made possible with grant money that DCS received from SIGA, Sask Arts and the RBC Mental Wellness fund. In addition, the Buckhorn Club was a notable sponsor, and there were other smaller donations from assorted businesses and organizations.
Having Tommy, Lawrence and Lena at DCS as special guests in order for kids to witness and even take part in these multi-generational methods was an opportunity that principal Jade Ballek wasn't going to pass up, as the subject of reconciliation between Caucasian and First Nations people is one of the school's heaviest topics.
Over the past few years, the staff and students of Dinsmore have taken part in a number of activities to increase their own awareness around the worldview and culture of Indigenous peoples, and this multi-day, hands-on presentation from Tommy and crew provided kids with an experience that they likely won't soon forget.
After the smoking process, the final steps saw strength come into the picture, with the moose hide being washed, twisted, scraped, and stretched. Witnessing the process and even participating in it gave the students a special experience that they'll remember, and in Ballek's view, it may have opened their eyes to the realities of another culture's way of life.
