Camp Sites

Our people moved frequently throughout the year. They did not wander aimlessly. They knew where the berries and other plants grew and where animals were likely to be found. Clans kept in touch with each other all of the time and shared information about the environment. All of our moves were well planned.

Our clans camped along streams and near springs where water and wood was available and where it was safe.

Picking Saskatoon Berries

Women and men picked saskatoon berries while men kept constant vigil against foreign intruders. The berries were spread on the ground and dried.

Saskatoon berries are very rich in vitamins. Our people knew this and the berries were an important part of our diet. Saskatoon berries were dried, crushed, and mixed with dried meat and fat to make mookimaani (pemmican). This food helped us survive when we could not find fresh meat. The berries were also made into soup. We always made an offering to the plants and thanked their spirit for allowing us to pick them.

Storing Dried Berries

Dried berries were packed into storage containers made from fetal deer or buffalo bladders.

Tanning Hides

Women dried meat, tanned hides, and sewed. There were always hides in various stages of being tanned and garments being made.

Women were always working with hides. They often worked together, making it a social occasion. This was also a time when girls were taught the skills they would need throughout their lives.

Staking Hides for Tanning

Buffalo hides were staked on the ground using pegs made from black birch.