Awl

Description:

Lightly curved handle made from bone or caribou antler (approximately 2.5 inches in length) with a hole bored into one end. A straight bone needle, very light coloured, is inserted into this hole.

References:

Lucien M. Turner. 1979[1894]. Indians and Eskimos in the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula. Quebec: Presses COMEDITEX. James W. VanStone. 1985. Material Culture of the Davis Inlet and Barren Ground Naskapi: the William Duncan Strong Collection. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History. Fieldiana, Anthropology New Series No.7.

Innu Narrative:

“Is this an awl? Here is the sharp object. This is used for drilling holes in snowshoes [frames]; maybe for making holes in the top of snowshoes. The name for this around here: pukunenikan.”  Matinen (Rich) Katshinak.

“It looks like pukunenikan (awl).”  Pinamen (Rich) Katshinak.

“A man put his knife in it. Maybe a smaller knife is for that. There is a name for a small knife for bloodletting and it is called matish. This bag must be used to put matish in it too, and it won’t be misplaced. [MacKenzie dictionary lists shaputinikan and ushkatshik for bloodletting needle; umatishkut for fish netting needle]. They put their mauh (needle used for snowshoes) in it too. It can be used for anything.”  Matinen (Selma) Michelin.

Other Info:

“Two awls are described as snowshoe-making implements. One is simply a sliver of caribou leg bone worked to a point at one end…and used to maintain the size of the mesh during the weaving of snowshoe webbing…  The other awl has an antler handle with a separate rectangular antler point inserted in a hole at one end… It was for making holes in the frames for selvage thongs.”  VanStone (1985:17)

“One of Strong’s informants told him that this type of awl was also used to draw blood from wrist arteries when a man was ill.”  VanStone (1985:21)

“[Awls] are made of steel or iron. The back or spring of a pocketknife or a portion of a small file appears to be the favorite material for forming them. They are usually chisel-shaped and have rectangular corners. The handle into which the metal is fastened is generally of deer horn. The shape of the handle varies from a Y shape to that of a crescent. These tools are constantly required for piercing holes in the various woods used in manufacture.”  Turner (1979[1894}:155)

See Drapeau (1999) “pakunenikan, v.i.i. – qqch (étalé) est troué, percé.” tshishtaikan – “poinçon, seringue.” ushkatshiku – alène, poinçon effilé (servant à percer le cuir, le tissue).