The following information was provided by Mrs. Julie Michel.
in an interviewed with Mrs. Liz Burke
Liz: What kind of clothing did you wear back in your younger days?
Julie: The women, including your grandmother, wore long dresses, underneath the dresses it was leggings with mocassins, a T-shirt and a long shirt. Sometimes to stay warm they would put another shirt over the first one.
Liz: My father, Fred Burke, told me stories about himself when he wore moose hide and fur clothing. He laughed about wearing these furs, but he said it kept him warm. Can you remember what people wore when you were a child?
Julie: Yes, I remember having to use netted rabbit fur for a mattress and some clothing such as, jackets, socks, and mittens. The jackets were so warm.
Liz: How did they put the jackets together?
Julie: I remember your relatives using a long stick, I couldn’t quite remember how it was used, but you can see Mrs. Capot-Blanc, she’ll explain how they did it. After skinning the rabbit they would save the skins. There were a lot of rabbits back then. Yes, Mrs. Capot-Blanc, she’ll show how to put the skins together. I know they used a stick, somehow folding the fur around this way and that way. We used rabbit fur for clothing mostly because it was so easy to get.
Liz: What about moose-hair tufting? Did you ever do any crafts with it?
Julie: I did some of it, I found it too much trouble. Hair everywhere, didn’t like it too much, but once I was finished with my work, I usually am satisfied.
Artifact provided by the Friendship Centre in Fort Nelson. |
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Moose Hair Tufted Purse
This purse was hand made using stroud, printed cloth, beads and sinew. It was used as a hand bag or hunting bag for storing food, shells etc.
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Liz: What about moccasins? I heard years back they used to make them pointy?
Julie: Yes, I remember, the kind of moccasins they make now are much easier to make. The pointy ones were much harder to sew together at the toes. It was the toes, gathering around the toes which made it so hard. Your Mom used to do beautiful work with moose hair. The long hair was taken from the back of the neck. They would soak the moose hair in water to dye and taken out in bunches and hung to dry.
