Birch Bark Biting poem by Denise Lajimodiere from her book of poems “Dragonfly Dance.” (Mary Annette Pember)
“I see the design through my eye teeth,” said Denise Lajimodiere, Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe.
“I keep my eyes closed when I work because I see the design in the darkness,” said Lajimodiere of her work in birch bark biting or mazinibakajige, which means “marks upon the bark.” […]
Birch bark biting was a pre-contact method of creating designs for beading or quillwork according to Lajimodiere. “Mazinibakajige died out in my tribe until I began doing it about eight years ago,” she said. […]
Lajimodiere was recently selected for a six-month Minnesota Historical Society Native Artist-in-Residence. With the award funds she plans on visiting the National Museum of the American Indian NMAI’s Archive Center in Suitland, Maryland to see the ancient mazinibakajige held there.
That is just amazing!
I think so too. I’d just make a mess.
That takes some learning. I’m guessing the Ojibwe and other nations who use it extensively have a specific word for the papery outer layers of birch bark.
In Finnish the outer birch bark is called tuohi. My ancestors used it for footwear (tuohivirsut and lötöt), musical instruments (tuohitorvi, a horn), backpacks (tuohikontti) and even made rings for their girlfriends from it. More distant ancestors may have used it for writing. AFAIK, they didn’t make canoes or know the biting technique to make art from it.
Ice Swimmer:
I’m sure they do. More than one, most likely. In Lakota, one word is used to cover sugar maple and white birch.
Wow. That’s impressive.
I’ve been to the Turtle Mountain rez, but only once, stayed there for a few days. It’s maybe two, three hours from where I am now.
Caine @ 4
Mostly tuohi was a substitute for more expensive materials such as leather.
Wow! I love her enthusiasm, she clearly loves what she does, and is having fun doing it (with obviously incredible results), and… that really brightened my day today. :)
Ice Swimmer
Similar for my ancestors. Called it tāss, and it’s still in use for similar kinds of things, baskets and sandal-type shoes and art, mostly for selling to tourists in summer markets. If you go to the Museum of Occupation, you can see letters people wrote on birch bark, which are actually a UNESCO heritage thingy. No biting that I know of here, either, but there is this woman (yes, she lives in a town called Ogre)!
Ice Swimmer:
Seems sensible to me, it’s a renewable resource which is easy to get, and from the little experience I have with it, fairly easy to work with.
rq:
Wow! That is some stunning work. I’d be alright with living in a town named Ogre. :D