Re: MtMan-List: Canadian Cap & rabiit fur

[Laurel huber <huberfam@earthlink.net>]

The Ojibway tribes of the Great Lakes area also used rabbit skin blankets as a
regular item.  They has access to other hides and skins but used the rather
useless and abundant rabbit furs inside their lodges.  It's true that rabbit
will not take much abuse but its availability and cheapness made its use for
temporary wadding and warmth widespread among the Canadian/Minnesotan tribes.
Rabbit skin was also used to wad shot in smoothbores, to line cradleboards,
care for women's monthly needs and to line the moccasins of young children.
Although I have not come across any mention of adults regularly  lining their
moccasins with rabbit, I imagine it would be done if it was all that was
available on the trail.

Larry "Shoots-the-Prairie" Huber

Joe Brandl wrote:

> Some natives may have used rabbit for linings, but I find it hard to
> believe that given almost any other type of fur or hide, that rabbit would
> of been used much. Wild rabbit skin are paper thin, the fur mats easily,
> thus loses insulation quality, take a lot of rabbits for a blanket.
> Exception were the southwestern tribes that wove blankets with rabbit
> skins.
> Joe
>
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