Ice scoop (2)

Name (French): écope
Name (Innu): akuashkupai / akuashkupan
Date Collected:
Institutions: Peenamin McKenzie School
Catalog Number: pm43
Place Made: Sheshatshiu
Maker: Shimun Michel
Collector: Peenamin MacKenzie school

Description:

made from antler, to remove slush from ice fishing holes, etc.

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. Naskapi dictionary. Lynn Drapeau. 1999. Dictionnaire Montagnais-français. Sainte-Foy: Presses de l’Université du Québec.

Innu Narrative:

“This is akuaskupan and when people didn’t have a shovel, they would make a shovel out of an antler.” Pinamen (Rich) Katshinak

“Kuashkupan – made out of eshkan (antler). It was used for scooping slush out of an ice fishing hole or from a hole where a beaver trap would be placed. Wooden handle is made out of sheshekatiku (black spruce).” Shimun Michel and Manian (Ashini) Michel

“The akuaskupan (like a shovel) is made out of the antler.”  Uniam Katshinak

Other Info:

“Fig. 124 shows a special form of snow shovel designed for cleaning the ice from the holes through which the people fish. It usually has a blade made from the brow antler or one of the broad palms from the horns of the reindeer. The horn portion is attached to the wooden shaft or handle by means of thongs running through holes bored for that purpose.”  Turner (1979[1894]:155)

“Once holes in the ice were opened, they were kept open by removing the newly formed slush ice with an ice scoop. The collection contains three such scoops; all have wooden shafts rectangular in cross section and scoops made of the palmate areas of caribou antlers, the distal ends of which have grooves and holes for babiche lashing.” VanStone (1985:15)

Naskapi dictionary lists akwaaskupaan as “shovel for ice or slush, ice scoop.” Nutshimiu-atusseun lists kuashkupan for this scoop with the verb kuashkupaueu mishkumi.