Toboggan

References:

Carole Lévesque. 1976. La culture matérielle des Indiens du Québec: une étude de raquettes, moccasins et toboggans. Canadian Ethnology Service Paper No. 33. Ottawa: National Museums of Canada. Charles Wendell Townsend (ed.). 1911. Captain Cartwright and his Labrador Journal. Boston: Dana Estes & Company. Sixth Voyage, 1786. 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.

Innu Narrative:

“These are shumantapashkuts (toboggan) and it is made out of a wood.” Pinamen (Rich) Katshinak

“Utapaskuts. I heard that when people got their supplies they would take back a whole bunch of supplies on this sled to the country. Shumantapaskuts.”  Munik (Gregoire) Rich

A narrower toboggan was used for making a path or it was used by the person who lead the way in the country. The wider toboggan was mostly used by the Innu women. It was used for pulling a younger child on. The front of a toboggan is called ushtukuan-tapanashku [should be ushtikuan-utapanashku, literally head of toboggan]. Nutapaniapi – string that comes on the side of the toboggan and it is used for dragging the toboggan.  Pakuei – canvas. Canvas was used for wrapping your supplies on the toboggan. The toboggan is made of tamarack. It is easier to pull because it is not heavy. A birch toboggan would be heavier but is good to use during cold winter months. Shimun used to make the toboggan for me to haul wood. I knew how to get and split firewood back then, but now I can’t do it any more. I have arthritis in my hands. Usually, Shimun would put his traps on his trap line. It took him a month to do this. So, I took care of our camp while he was away.” Marian (Ashini) Michel

Other Info:

Visit the Exhibits section of this website for Innu stories, images and information on toboggans, including detailed descriptions of how Innu built them in 1894 and 1982.

Naskapi dictionary lists suumin-utaapaanaaskw as “‘raisin’ toboggan, name of ordinary style of toboggan.”

MacKenzie lists utapaniapi as “toboggan rope;” apakuai and apakun as “canvas duck fabric, tent covering.”

Prior to the adoption of dog teams and the komatik, the Labrador Innu transported their belongings on toboggans (utapanashkᵘ) and sleds (utatinanashkᵘ). Sleds were used primarily in the late fall and spring, when there is lots of slush and water on the ice. Using sleds, Innu stood a better chance of keeping belongings and supplies out of the water, wet snow and slush. Such sleds were also used to transport canoes across the snow and ice between sections of open water and across portages.

The toboggan on the other hand, was constructed out of two, long, thin planks of birch or tamarack, and was used during the winter months when there was little chance of running into wet, slushy snow, and water on the ice of lakes and brooks. A canvas sheet would be placed first on the toboggan upon which supplies and belongings would be placed. The canvas would then be wrapped over these and tied firmly in place with rope.

“The Mountaineer [Innu] method is the only one adapted for the interior parts of the country: their sleds are made of two thin boards of birch; each about six inches broad, a quarter of an inch thick, and six feet long: these are fastened parallel to each other by slight battens, sewn on with thongs of deer-skin; and the foremost end is curved up to rise over the inequalities of the snow. Each individual who is able to walk, is furnished with one of these; but those for the children are proportionately less. On them they stow all their goods, and also their infants; which they bundle up very warm in deer-skins. The two ends of a leather thong are tied to the corners of the sled; the bright or double part of which is placed against the breast, and in that manner it is drawn along. The men go first, relieving each other in the lead by turns; the women follow next, and the children, according to their strength, bring up the rear; and, as they all walk in rackets [snowshoes], the third or fourth person finds an excellent path to walk on, let the snow be ever so light.” Townsend (1911:357-358)

“The most common form of transportation in winter was the toboggan. The Strong collection contains two examples of this means of conveyance, of approximately the same size. Both are made from two pieces of hand-hewn birchwood held together by transverse wooden bars. The first bar is placed at the front of the upturned portion, the second at the point where the curve begins, the third approximately in the center, and the fourth at the back. The crossbars are lashed to the boards with babiche and, at the upturned end, the two boards are lashed together with strips of the same material. On the underside the lashing is counter-sunk to prevent wear.” VanStone (1985:19)

“Tiré à l’aide d’un harnais de corde par le chasseur, le toboggan servait auparavant à transporter équipement, materiel, provisions et même jeunes enfants sur les territories de chasse. Il était le moyen de transport usual pendant l’hiver. (Pulled by the hunter in a rope harness, the toboggan was once used to transport equipment, supplies and even young children to hunting grounds. It was the usual means of transportation during winter.)” Lévesque (1976:50)