Learning Some Native Skills
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Arctic Village,
Alaska,
United States
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The first instance happened the other night. Mike purchased a hind quarter of a caribou so he could butcher it and make fry meat. This is tender, juicy, and succulent and actually beats steak most of the time. I'm not even going to take the time to address the fact that Mike is butchering meat since in his last post he already established he is turning into Grizzly Adams. My focus is on my 10 year old daughter Bradie in this example. Mike pulls out the caribou leg and prepares to butcher. At this point I'm paying little or no attention because, well, I don't butcher things... but I will eat things once they are butchered. That is when my attention is engaged. Anyway, soon Mike comes in and asks me to come look at Bradie. Apparently, during our stay here Bradie has learned how to skin caribou legs. One of the Native art centers that we have had each week during our school wide enrichment day is instruction on how to make skin boots from caribous legs.
caribou leg
Bradie took the skill to heart and without saying a word sat down and skinned the entire caribou leg. I was amazed and asked her if she needed help but she just shrugged and said "I can do it". It was a really good job. The skin was not cut or torn in one place. She took the entire leg in one cut. It was interesting to watch how patient and delicate she was while she worked. This really is a good example of how adaptable kids are. This was not a big deal for her. She just did it, I, on the other hand, had an experience illustrating how easily impressed we grown ups can be with ourselves.
One of my co-teachers who is a Native of Arctic Village was doing a center and teaching how to make dream catchers. I was assisting and really excited about learning this traditional craft. We were using willow branches she had gathered and a spool of sinew. Our teacher said it would be very simple and once I learned I could assist the kids... Sure! She said "now watch'. I watched. I tried. I watched some more. Soon I noticed all the children were zipping away weaving sinew into intricate dream catchers while I was tangling my hand up into the branch. I'm not crafty. I know this but I am tenacious so I kept trying. An hour and a half later I had a completed dream catcher. I was so excited I promptly shouted out "look Mary! I did it!" I was so happy with my work and pleased to have a new skill! Mary, the teacher and Joanne, another native working with us started talking in Gwich'in. One of my students looked up at me and said " Amy they are talking about you" and started to giggle. I'm sure they were commenting on my over abundance of pleasure over something they see as simple :)
I ended up with four pretty dream catchers and plan on going out to Collect willow so I can make more. I'm still pretty pleased with me but I can't help but be impressed with how common place learning and doing is for kids
Comments
The skills you will use
Amy,
I giggled as I read this and thought of these great skills when you come back to Florida and Mike goes and gets a crocodile for the meat. Then your daughter, who loves to skin things skins it. All the while you are sitting at the kitchen table making a dream catcher, dreaming of another trip to Alaska! :) Anyway it made me laugh.
Melissa