The Fort Nelson Aboriginal Project © copyright 1998 School District 81

A Visit with Maxine Burke

 


Maxine Burke

Maxine lives on the 293 Reserve in Fort Nelson. Before that reservation she lived on the Reserve at 295 called the 'old reserve'. Her house was located exactly where Joe's Gas Bar is now. She now lives on “Golo Road”. ["Golo" means "moose"]

Instead of talking about herself, Maxine preferred to talk about the subject of moose.


The questions she answered are:
  • How the Hide is tanned?
  • How the meat is cut?
  • What parts we use?
  • What we do with the bones?

 

 

 

 

 

moose
Drawing provided by Liz Burke


All parts of the moose are used, even the hide. The hide is very carefully skinned off. After killing the moose we always cut from the stomach up towards the neck. The stomach always has to be punctured first, to avoid bloating.

The hide is skinned off without any holes if possible. After the hide is taken off it is used for many things such as, clothing, footwear (moccasins, slippers). To tan the moose hide, the hide is soaked for about two days, changing the water once a day. After soaking the hide, it's stretched on a square frame made out of spruce poles. The hide is then stretched and tied to the frame with strong rope, very tightly. Then the hide is ready to be tanned on both sides. That's where the moose bones come in.

The moose bones are used for many things. The tool that is used on the moose hide is called an ee-woou. The bone from the front leg is broken in two or half, then sharpened on the broken end into a slant. The outer slant is sharpened with four grooves in, to look like teeth. The ee-woou is used for the inner side of the hide. You take the excess fat and meat off. When this is done, it should be smooth. The moose's hair side is scraped or shaved off with a very sharp tool, made out of a piece of metal about eight inched long and curved on both ends opposite way, and sharpened. This metal piece is called a thoouw.

This part of the hide takes a few days. There is a spruce pole that is tied in the middle of the hide once it is securely balanced against the trees. This is to skin and shave the upper part of the hide and for you to sit on the pole. Put a tarp or blanket over it when done the hide is done, and it sits for a few days.

When it is dried it is sprayed down with water, then that is where the moose brain comes in. The brain is known as a solution to protect the hide from insects. The brain is mixed with water and the with weeds, and is spread all over the hide and set until dried. The moose hide is folded into a square and soaked in water for about two days or until it is soft.

When this is done the hide is wrung out with a piece of thick pole that is solidly hammered to the ground. The hide is put over the pole with the holes from tying the hide, one half of the hide is, and the other half is put through another pole and twisted over and over until the water is wrung out!

After this is done there has to be two people to pull on both sides of the hide. After this the hide is put back on he stretcher and pressed with a stone. It's a soap stone, that's tied to a spruce pole. You press against the hide while it is tied to the stretcher. Doing this gives the hide its softness.

After doing this you smoke the hide. To smoke it you have to use an old birch log, some call it a rotten birch log. You dig a hole in the ground about one and a half deep. Then you make a fire in the hole, the fire is stoked up, you put the old birch in the fire. This smoke gives the hide its colour and smoke smell.

Once this is done you soak it again, put the hide through he pole in the ground, you pull the hide again, then you smoke it again. After this is done the hide is soft and leathery. From smoking it the heat will dry the hide, and you will have a very nicely tanned hide.

The moose hairs are also used for art. They are died on different colours and are used for art in moose hides. The pieces of hair are pulled through the hide with a square needle, then trimmed. Art made from moose hairs can be seen at the Fort Nelson Friendship Centre.

Moose meat is very delicious. Some people prefer it to beef. On a moose there are various parts of the body that are eaten. On the head, the antlers are taken off, and used for tools and jewellery. The brain is used in the solution for the hide. Jaw bones are either baked or cooked over an open fire.

After they are cooked the meat is cut off and the bones are broken open. Inside the bones is cooked marrow. The marrow is a delicacy. The marrow for us is called candy. The nose, tongue and lips are boiled in a big pot, this is also a very delicious meal to us. These parts and the intestines are are the most favourite parts.

The neck of the moose is chopped up into short rib sizes, which are boiled with potatoes. The front legs are cut up into dried meat sizes. The little pieces are cut up into stewed meat sizes. The muscle of the moose is hung to dry, then then stripped into string sizes. This is used as thread. It is a very strong thread. It is called sinew. We use this for sewing our moccasins, or anything that needs to be kept together.

The meat from the shoulder blade is always used for dry meat, because of its straight meat. When all the meat is off the shoulder blade the blade is baked on an open fire or in the oven. The bones from the front and back legs are baked or roasted over the fire, then broken open for candy.

When my mother cooked a moose bone, I could taste the deliciousness of the meat and marrow. When I was young I'd watch my mother doing things in the forest. I was amazed at the things she'd do. I remember when my sister and I would help my mother do moose hides. When you look at today’s generation, things sure change. You don't see very many people doing things like that anymore. Since the animal activists there aren't many more trappers.

The moose ribs are chopped into 4 to 5 inches long. Boiled or baked, but always with potatoes. The back legs are the same as the front. To make dry meat the meat is cut into thin layers and very carefully hung to dry over racks. Over a fire, not too much of a fire with smoke. They're hung to dry for a few days. Its like beef jerky.

The intestines are also boiled, such as the bible, the stomach is cut into frying meat or stewed meats. The liver is fried with onions. The heart is very important to the hunter. The hunter cuts the tip...a piece that hangs. The hunter takes the piece and eats it. They say when he does this the next time he hunts the moose won't run from him. The hooves are baked or cooked in the fire and eaten. Writing this gives a person an idea that nothing on a moose is wasted. Every part of the moose is used.