Other Uses
Not only did the Ojibwe rely on the forest for food and medicine, they also needed it to supply every other aspect of life as well. If it existed or lived in the forest, they probably used it for something. The loss of trees (and thereby wood, bark, and food and shelter for other animals) had a huge detrimental effect on the traditional way of life for the Ojibwe people.
Wood Perhaps one of the most crucial uses for wood is for shelter. The traditional Ojibwe form of shelter was a wigwam, which was a semi-permanent dome-shaped building with an entrance at one end and a smoke hole in the top. The supports were made of sturdy poles driven deep into the ground, while the walls were created from cattail rushes, basswood bark, and birchbark.
www.prhcamp.com/photo_gallery.htm Wood was also used for utensils of all sorts, from bowls and hammers to paddles and sewing needles.
Animal Products Besides wood and bark, the forest also supplied the Ojibwe with animals to eat. But the usefulness didn't stop there; almost every part of every animal was used. A perfect example of this is seen in the Mide bag, which was used by the Midewewin to hold herbs and medicines. They were given to each initiate into the Midewewin, and were constructed from an entire animal skin hollowed out. Mide bags were of great spiritual and cultural importance, and were part of what made a Midewewin holy.
www.geocities.com/ ~furs to keep warm ~bones for tools, decoration, and ceremonial use ~feathers and fur for decoration
http://www.whetung.com/crafts.html
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Bark Bark of all types was a great asset to the Ojibwe way of life, but they are most renowned for their ingenious uses of birch bark. It was a tough, wind- and waterproof, and almost decay-proof material, found basically anywhere they cared to look. Not only did it serve as the walls of their wigwams, but it was also used to make containers, utensils (such as plates), torches, beads, decorations, sewing patterns, and splints for broken bones.
Perhaps the most widely-known use of birch bark among the Ojibwe is in the construction of canoes. In order to get one whole piece of bark out of which to make the canoe, the Ojibwe had to find a birch tree big enough for their purposes, fell it, and then slit the bark all the way up the trunk and remove it in one piece. (This was generally done in June or July, when the bark was easiest to remove). That done, the ribs and gunwales were carved out of white cedar (or any other green, straight-grained wood) and soaked in water to make them flexible. The bottom pieces of bark were then laid on the ground and placed in position, with a few inches of overlap between each piece. Heavy stones were placed on the bark to keep it down, while stakes were driven into the ground on both sides to create the general shape of the canoe. The women then sewed all the pieces of bark together, adding on the side pieces when ready. The ribs and gunwales were also tightly sewn in, as well as pieces of cedar bent into the bow and stern. The inside was covered in thin strips of cedar to form a protective bottom and sides. (All pieces were kept moist throughout the process to ensure eveything would fit together at the end.) Cross-pieces were hammered in between every two ribs, and then the whole thing was tied to stakes and left in the sun for awhile. The final step involved inverting the canoe and painting it with waterproof pitch. A well-made canoe lasted about a year. (Lyford 49-54)
Other uses of animal products include: ~porcupine quill baskets
museum.msu.edu/museum/ ~sinews for sewing ~hides for moccasins and clothing
jumaka.com/moccasins/
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