It all starts with a good brushing – it is not an easy feat when talking about a large animal that lived its days in the wild. But with time, patience, and some solid pet brushes, instructor Rachel Guindon led students through the process of collecting material known as qiviut and then washing and spinning it to use for crafts. “All the ladies in the workshop were fantastic – they were motivated, they laughed all the time, they were very curious, they asked a lot of questions,” Guindon said. “I think they were very happy to acquire new knowledge, new techniques … I was very impressed.” Guindon made the trip from Quebec City to Kuujjuaq for the three-day workshop, which ran from March 21 to 23. Thanks to a donation from a local, the workshop participants had a large spring nutmeg to work on. Guindon with muskox skin, which someone donated to Kuujjuaq. Guindon says that a skin can produce more than four pounds of qiviut. (Source: Kajusivik Adult Education)
They learned about the history and ecology of muskox and had Elder Mae Angnatuk visit them every day to talk about creatures. The typical spring musk has four pounds or more of qiviut nestled under its long, thick protective hairs – an insulating layer to keep it warm in winter. In the spring, within a few days, shed this wool. Mary Saunders, cultural education consultant with Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, who organized the qiviut lab, said that qiviut can be harvested from the ground if you know where the muskox have been found. The masses of wool look almost like plants, but brown. Saunders said many people in Nunavik are not very familiar with muskox. Large creatures were introduced to northern Quebec in the 1970s. “Little by little we know them and we learn that there are so many ways to use muskox,” Saunders said. “Their fur is very warm – I have heard that it is warmer than feathers [feathers]. I think it is very nice to explore such an animal and use it more “. Gidon, third from the left, taught seven Kuujjuaq participants how to spin muskox qiviut into a thread in March. (Source: Kajusivik Adult Education)
Guindon said she began turning to qiviut as a “side passion” when she was studying musk and plants as part of her undergraduate work at the university. She has spent the last two years learning more about fibers and their unique characteristics. Guindon said qiviut fibers offer excellent insulation – they can be stuffed into snowshoes or lined with gloves or camouflage. It is also much better than the types of synthetic materials from which many yarns are made. “It is softer than cashmere, which is a very soft fiber, and it is eight times warmer than sheep’s wool. And the great thing is that it is extremely light, so it will not burden you,” he said. “It has wonderful properties … so it is a fantastic fiber to make yarn.” Senior Mae Angnatuk visited the participants every day to talk about the history of muskox. (Source: Kajusivik Adult Education)
Saunders, which attended the entire workshop and had the opportunity to participate, said they plan to bring Guindon to Nunavik’s qiviut teaching workshops and have already planned her next stop: Umiujaq. “It’s fun to learn new things, to discover what we can do with different animals,” he said. “I will encourage everyone to try to learn more about muskox.”