• Results (177)
  • Search

Item Search

The item search helps you look through the thousands of items on the RRN and find exactly what you’re after. We’ve split the search into two parts, Results, and Search Filters. You’re in the results section right now. You can still perform “Quick searches” from the menu bar, but if you’re new to the RRN, click the Search tab above and use the exploratory search.

View Tutorial

Log In to see more items.

moccasin1927.1734 . 176399

Culture
Ilnu, Montagnais and Innu
Material
“-” ?
Made in
Pekuakami, Lac Saint-Jean, Lake St. John, Labrador, Canada
Holding Institution
The Field Museum
View Item Record
moccasin1927.1734 . 176399.1-2

« There are two pairs of moccasins in the Speck collection. One pair is made of tanned caribou skin and shows signs of considerable wear. The bottom is a single piece and has a T-shaped heel seam. There is no toe seam, the bottom being gathered where it joins the tongue. This is the so-called "puckered" style which Rogers (1967, pp. 54-55) describes for the Mistassini and which is also described by Lips (1947, pp. 46-49) for the Lake St. John and Mistassini bands. The tongue is a U-shaped inset; the top, a rectangular strip of heavy patterned wool felt sewn to the upper edge of the bottom. A long strip of caribou skin was inserted through holes cut in the upper edge of the bottom, the ends emerging on either side of the tongue. This thong was wrapped around the wearer's ankle to hold the top of the moccasin in place. Decoration on this specimen consists of embroidered floral designs in blue, red, yellow, and white cotton thread in the center of the tongue and two bands of orange silk-wrapped cording around the edges. The top is edged with red cotton tape (fig. 30a). » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.16, fig 30a et b (p.58). « Speck (1935, pp. 190-191) has noted that for the Montagnais, the symbolic pictorial representation of a plant or animal was equivalent to the actual plant or animal and those portrayed were believed to come under the control of the individual human spirit. Dreams played a major part in suggesting the relationship between specific animals or plants and an individual. The spirit was strengthened by having its dream promptings obeyed and success in subsistence activities was thereby assured. » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.10.

Culture
Ilnu, Montagnais and Innu
Material
“caribou skin; silk embroidery” ?
Made in
Pekuakami, Lac Saint-Jean, Lake St. John, Labrador, Canada
Holding Institution
The Field Museum
View Item Record
mittens1927.1734 . 176398

« The collection contains two pairs of mittens. » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.16. « A much more utilitarian pair of mittens from Kiskisink, showing signs of considerable wear, is made of canvas with a lining of heavy black wool cloth. They consist of four pieces, one each for the palm and back of the hand, and one each for the inside and outside of the thumb; there is no cuff. » Ibis

Culture
Ilnu, Montagnais and Innu
Material
not stated on card
Made in
Pekuakami, Lac Saint-Jean, Lake St. John, Labrador, Canada
Holding Institution
The Field Museum
View Item Record
mitten1927.1734 . 176397.1-2

« The collection contains two pairs of mittens. One pair is made of tanned moose skin consisting of five pieces: one each for the palm and back of the hand, one each for the inside and outside of the thumb, and one for the cuff which is made from a rectangular strip of beaver fur. There are identical embroidered floral designs in red, green, yellow, purple, and pink cotton thread in the center of the back of each mitten (fig. 29c). » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.16, fig 29c (p.57). « Speck (1935, pp. 190-191) has noted that for the Montagnais, the symbolic pictorial representation of a plant or animal was equivalent to the actual plant or animal and those portrayed were believed to come under the control of the individual human spirit. Dreams played a major part in suggesting the relationship between specific animals or plants and an individual. The spirit was strengthened by having its dream promptings obeyed and success in subsistence activities was thereby assured. » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.10.

Culture
Ilnu, Montagnais and Innu
Material
“moose skin; beaver fur; silk embroidery” ?
Made in
Pekuakami, Lac Saint-Jean, Lake St. John, Labrador, Canada
Holding Institution
The Field Museum
View Item Record
belt1927.1734 . 176395

« A narrow strip of moose skin approximately 166 cm long is identified as a belt for holding up a man's leggings. This suggests that the longer leggings which could be fastened to a belt were worn by men, although Rogers (1967, p. 52) maintains that Mistassini men's and women's leggings were of equal length. » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.15.

Culture
Ilnu, Montagnais and Innu
Material
moose skin
Made in
Pekuakami, Lac Saint-Jean, Lake St. John, Labrador, Canada
Holding Institution
The Field Museum
View Item Record
pick1927.1734 . 176391

« A pick made from a bear bone is crudely sharpened at one end (fig. 5b). Speck indicates that it was used to punch holes in meat which was to be smoked and preserved for making pemmican. Such holes open up them eat, allowing the smoke to penetrate. » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.8, fig 5b (p.33)

Culture
Ilnu, Montagnais and Innu
Material
bear bone
Made in
Pekuakami, Lac Saint-Jean, Lake St. John, Labrador, Canada
Holding Institution
The Field Museum
View Item Record
fishhook1927.1734 . 176390

« Fishing equipment in the Speck collection includes seven fish hooks, five of which have wooden shanks and bone points. Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.6. « Two metal fish hooks are also composite in design. Large commercial steel hooks are lashed to iron spikes with heavy twine. Lighter twine binds the point of the hook to the distal end of the shank. At the proximal ends of both specimens are leaders consisting of short strips of moose hide to which are attached lengths of two-ply twine fish line (fig. 3b). » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.6, fig 3b (p.31). « Hooks of both types were baited with minnows and used with set lines. Muskellunge, pike, and other large fish swallowed the hook which then caught in the stomach rather than in the mouth or gills. Fish hooks with wooden shanks were used by the neighboring Mistassini and are described and illustrated by Rogers (1967, p. 88, pi. XIV-A). » Ibis.

Culture
Ilnu, Montagnais and Innu
Material
“iron nail; thong” ?
Made in
Pekuakami, Lac Saint-Jean, Lake St. John, Labrador, Canada
Holding Institution
The Field Museum
View Item Record
fishhook1927.1734 . 176389

« Fishing equipment in the Speck collection includes seven fish hooks, five of which have wooden shanks and bone points. Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.6. « Two metal fish hooks are also composite in design. Large commercial steel hooks are lashed to iron spikes with heavy twine. Lighter twine binds the point of the hook to the distal end of the shank. At the proximal ends of both specimens are leaders consisting of short strips of moose hide to which are attached lengths of two-ply twine fish line (fig 3b). » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.6, fig 3b (p.31). « Hooks of both types were baited with minnows and used with set lines. Muskellunge, pike, and other large fish swallowed the hook which then caught in the stomach rather than in the mouth or gills. Fish hooks with wooden shanks were used by the neighboring Mistassini and are described and illustrated by Rogers (1967, p. 88, pi. XIV-A). » Ibis.

Culture
Ilnu, Montagnais and Innu
Material
“metal; iron” ?
Made in
Pekuakami, Lac Saint-Jean, Lake St. John, Labrador, Canada
Holding Institution
The Field Museum
View Item Record
toy bow and arrow1927.1734 . 176388.1-2

« The stave of a toy bow was made with a crooked knife froma single piece of birchwood and lacks backing. Both the back and front are slightly convex and the sides are flat. Paired V-shaped notches at the sides are cut near the end of each horn for attachment of the bow string which is made of commercial two ply cord (fig. 31). Associated with this bow is a toy arrow, the shaft of which is circular in cross section and made of birchwood. The proximal end of the shaft is flattened on opposite sides and a notch is cut in the end at right angles to the flattened surfaces; there are no feathers. This type of arrow, which would have been used primarily for game birds such as ptarmigan and spruce grouse, had no attached point. The distal end of the shaft widens to form an enlarged striking surface (fig. 3m). In the past, the neighboring Mistassini Indians used the bow and arrow for hunting caribou as well as a variety of small game animals and birds (Rogers, 1967, p. 67). Small bows and arrows were used in a divination game for predicting the number of otters to be killed on a future hunt (Speck, 1930, pp. 429-430, fig. 109; 1935, p. 198). A label in Speck's handwriting attached to the bow indicates that it was collected at the Kiskisink settlement. » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.7, fig 3I et m (p.31).

Culture
Ilnu, Montagnais and Innu
Material
not stated on card
Made in
Pekuakami, Lac Saint-Jean, Lake St. John, Labrador, Canada
Holding Institution
The Field Museum
View Item Record
game1927.1734 . 176387

« A variant of the cup and pin game consists of a bundle of cedar twigs wrapped in string. At the proximal end is fastened a length of twine to which is attached a wooden pin which tapers to a point at its distal end (fig. 29a). This game was used in gambling and simply for amusement. It also was associated with increasing luck in hunting (Speck, 1935, pp. 198-199; Tanner, 1979, p. 129). » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.19, fig 29a (p.57).

Culture
Ilnu, Montagnais and Innu
Material
cedar twig
Made in
Pekuakami, Lac Saint-Jean, Lake St. John, Labrador, Canada
Holding Institution
The Field Museum
View Item Record