Tanning & the Preservation of Other Animal Parts. Native American Leather Bags and Pouches. Learning about the puzzle pouch is a story in it's own. I'm indebted to several people in the creation of these pages. First, there is Ron Mayer who initially emailed me trying to find out more about the origin & construction of puzzle pouches. In a six minute documentary on TVOntario, Ron had seen these bags being made by Darren Lentz, a teacher at Pelican Falls First Nations High School in Sioux Lookout.
Ron's sister teaches Ojibway children north of Red Lake and thought it would be a great project for her class. Myself, although vaguely familiar with the existence of this type of pouch, was completely unfamiliar with the construction or the history of this ingenious bag. My curiosity became piqued and I was soon obsessed with how these puzzle pouches are made and who makes them. I set to work, first making a paper model of the pouch based on Brenda's pattern, just trying to see how the flaps and pieces of the pattern all fit together. Georg J. Learn how Puzzle Pouches can be made ! Native American Mittens & Gloves. Overview of Native American Footwear ~ Moccasins. REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF NATIVE AMERICAN CLOTHING STYLES.
Nativeculture.com: We travel. The world changes. All things become new. Native American Leather Bags and Pouches. Natives of Northeastern North America use bags and pouches to contain many of life's necessities around the home site and for travel. As Native American clothing did not incorporate European- like pockets, pouches of all shapes, sized and materials served this purpose.
European explorers of North America in the early 1600's observed that Natives "Always carry with them all their goods, as well as their food and green tobacco. " (de Laet: 1967) Pouches and bags were commonly fastened to a belt around the waist. Smaller pouches may have been worn around the neck or on the wrist.
Bags that were not woven were traditionally made from tanned leather, animal bladders, and all types of furred animal hides from the mole to the bear. Pouches could contain food-stuff, smoking supplies, medicine, fire-starting equipment, ammunition, and other small tools and supplies used by men and women. A long leather bag was used to hold nokake (parched and powdered corn meal to be mixed with water and eaten.
Getting started.