Working with rawhide at St. Vital Museum

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This article was published 22/01/2018 (2926 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

St. Vital Museum will be taking a hands-on approach to two upcoming workshops that will be held in conjunction with the l’Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba.

The museum, which is located at 600 St. Mary’s Rd., is holding a free rawhide-making demonstration on Sat., Jan. 27 at 2 p.m., which focuses on how a deer hide is transformed into rawhide used for making drums, organizers say. A few weeks later, there will be another demonstration, this time focusing on how to make a rawhide hand drum, which will be held on Sat., March 3 at 2 p.m.

The demonstrations will be facilitated by Elder Paul Desrosiers, a longtime member of UNMSJM, along with Robert Pereault. Desrosiers, a resident of St. Vital who has been involved with the process of making drums for around a decade, has a hand-painted drum on display at the museum. He said the demonstrations represent an important way to share information, culture and tradition.

“It’s a way to transmit knowledge,” Desrosiers said, noting the two events are aimed at “whoever wants to learn.”

“I’m from a family of hunters who have always hunted. One of the things my family used to do was trade deer hides for leather mitts. A lot of hunters now throw the rawhide in the garbage because they just want the meat, but these are important, it can be used. The main goal is to transmit what I know about rawhide and drum-making.”

Desrosiers said hand drums are important items in some Indigenous cultures, and they are visible in many communities in the land.

“Any time anyone has a protest, have a look at what they have in their hands. They’re holding a hand drum. It’s a very personal item and many people treat it like a buddy. You certainly don’t make things like this in half an hour,” he said.

The demonstrations will be filmed to preserve the techniques for future generations, organizers say.

Go online at www.svhs.ca or call 204-255-2864 for more information about the museum.

Visit www.unmsjm.ca to find out more about UNMSJM.