« The collection contains a heavy spear for killing caribou in the water, presumably from a canoe. The point, made of moose antler and with a single large barb, tapers toward the proximal end which is inserted into a hole in the long wooden shaft. At the distal end the shaft is split slightly and notched to receive strips of moose hide lashing which extend up onto and around the proximal end of the point (fig.2). Shorter, lighter versions of this spear were used for taking beaver and the collection contains the shaft of a model beaver spear; the point is missing. The shaft is round and 60.2 cm in length with a slit in the distal end into which the point would have been fitted. Narrow creases in the wood indicate that the point was held in place with sinew. » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.6, fig 2 (p.30).

« The manufacture of woven hare skin blankets by Indians of the Mistassini and Lake St. John bands is described in detail by Speck (1930, pp. 451-454), Lips (1947, pp. 42, 44), and Rogers (1967, p. 64, fig. 8, p. 40). Speck (1930, p. 454) notes that 100 skins were required for a blanket, while Rogers (1967, p. 64) states that a large blanket to be used by three people might comprise twice that many skins. These blankets were woven of narrow, twisted strips of hare skin on a three-pole frame by a coil netting technique in which the strip of skin was conveyed by a wooden or bone needle. The Speck collection contains two examples. The smaller, in poor condition, measures approximately 165 by 145 cm. The larger measures 220 by 152 cm and has short cloth ties at the four corners. It may have been worn as a robe. » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.17.

« Wood-working tools in the Speck collection are represented by three crooked all with wooden handles and metal blades made from large kitchen knives. The hallmarks of English makers of cutlery occur on two blades. The faces of the blades within the bend and along the length of the same side are knives, sharpened. The handles form approximately half the total length and are made of birch wood. Two handles have a pronounced curve at the proximal end. One of these, hafted for a right-handed individual, has a shallow slot cut along one side of the handle to hold the proximal end of the blade, which is lashed in place with cord (fig. 4e). Another knife, for a left-handed individual, has a slit in the distal end of the handle into which the blade is inserted and lashed with cord (fig. 4d). The third knife has a handle which comes to an asymmetrical point at the proximal end and has a long slit for the blade, which is held in place with metal rivets (fig. 4a). The manufacture and use of the crooked knife among the Lake St. John and Mistassini Indians is described by Lips (1947, pp. 50-51) and Rodgers (1967, pp. 45-46, fig. 16, plate VIE-A). » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.7, fig 4a ou d (p.32). « The manufacture and use of the crooked knife among the Lake St. John and Mistassini Indians is described by Lips (1947, pp. 50-51) and Rodgers (1967, pp. 45-46, fig. 16, plate VIE-A). » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.7.

« Wood-working tools in the Speck collection are represented by three crooked knives all with wooden handles and metal blades made from large kitchen knives. The hallmarks of English makers of cutlery occur on two blades. The faces of the blades within the bend and along the length of the same side are, sharpened. The handles form approximately half the total length and are made of birch wood. Two handles have a pronounced curve at the proximal end. One of these, hafted for a right-handed individual, has a shallow slot cut along one side of the handle to hold the proximal end of the blade, which is lashed in place with cord (fig. 4e). Another knife, for a left-handed individual, has a slit in the distal end of the handle into which the blade is inserted and lashed with cord (fig. 4d). The third knife has a handle which comes to an asymmetrical point at the proximal end and has a long slit for the blade, which is held in place with metal rivets (fig. 4a). The manufacture and use of the crooked knife among the Lake St. John and Mistassini Indians is described by Lips (1947, pp. 50-51) and Rodgers (1967, pp. 45-46, fig. 16, plate VIE-A). » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.7, fig 4a ou d (p.32). « The manufacture and use of the crooked knife among the Lake St. John and Mistassini Indians is described by Lips (1947, pp. 50-51) and Rodgers (1967, pp. 45-46, fig. 16, plate VIE-A). » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.7.

« Two styles of netted snowshoes are represented in the Speck collection by a single pair each. Both pairs have birchwood frames and babiche netting. One pair, from Kiskisink, is constructed in the "swallow tail" style (Davidson, 1937, pp. 67-68, fig. 27c) in which the ends of the frame form a tail. Although Davidson describes this style in his chapter on snowshoes with two-piece frames, this specimen has a frame consisting of a single piece of wood, the ends of which are lashed together with babiche at the tail. There are two slightly curved cross bars which are morticed into the frame. The harnesses are made of clothes line and the wearer's heel rested on a rectangular piece of tanned caribou skin which is folded over the opening and sewn into the netting. One shoe has a large area of broken netting in the center which has been repaired with twine (fig. 31a). According to Rogers (1967, pp. 91-92), swallow-tail snowshoes were used by the Mistassini at the time of his fieldwork in the early 1950s and were worn by both men and women. Men used them during November and December and again in the spring when the snow was heavy. During mid-winter they were used by men only on well-packed trails. Women used them all winter. The snowshoes of this type that Rogers describes had a one-piece frame like the pair in the Speck collection. According to Speck's notes, the swallow-tail style was the typical form among eastern Montagnais bands. » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.18, fig 31a (p.59). « The manufacture of snowshoes among the Lake St. John and Mistassini Indians has been described in considerable detail by Lips (1947, pp. 69-77) and Rogers (1967, pp. 91-101). » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.18.

« Among the neighboring Mistassini Indians, Speck collected a complete woman's costume consisting of a cloth dress, sleeves, sash, leggings, and head band. This costume, or one very similar to it, is shown in a photograph made by Speck (fig. 23) which resembles photographs reproduced with a description in his publication on the Mistassini (1930, fig. 123, p. 453, fig. 124, p. 454). Since this style of dress was no longer worn at the time of Speck's fieldwork, the costume was undoubtedly made for the collector. The sleeveless dress is made from two pieces of purple wool felt sewn together at the sides. The square-cut lower edge, sleeve openings, and V-shaped neck opening are edged with red cotton tape. Two short lengths of the same material are sewn to the lower edge of the neck opening. Sections of the front of this dress are faded as the result of lighting in an exhibition case. Separate sleeves of the same material and with the same edging are each made from a single piece of cloth. They are wide at the shoulders, overlapping the arm spaces of the dress, and narrow at the cuffs. They were tied across the shoulders by a rectangular strip of cloth (fig. 24d). » Vanstone, James W. ""The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec."" Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.14, fig 24a (p.52)."

« Among the neighboring Mistassini Indians, Speck collected a complete woman's costume consisting of a cloth dress, sleeves, sash, leggings, and head band. This costume, or one very similar to it, is shown in a photograph made by Speck (fig. 23) which resembles photographs reproduced with a description in his publication on the Mistassini (1930, fig. 123, p. 453, fig. 124, p. 454). Since this style of dress was no longer worn at the time of Speck's fieldwork, the costume was undoubtedly made for the collector. The sleeveless dress is made from two pieces of purple wool felt sewn together at the sides. The square-cut lower edge, sleeve openings, and V-shaped neck opening are edged with red cotton tape. Two short lengths of the same material are sewn to the lower edge of the neck opening. Sections of the front of this dress are faded as the result of lighting in an exhibition case. Separate sleeves of the same material and with the same edging are each made from a single piece of cloth. They are wide at the shoulders, overlapping the arm spaces of the dress, and narrow at the cuffs. They were tied across the shoulders by a rectangular strip of cloth (fig. 24d). » Vanstone, James W. ""The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec."" Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.14, fig 24a (p.52)."

« The sash, which was fastened around the waist, consists of three sewn pieces of purple wool felt with edging similar to the previously described garments and with a red silk tie at either end. (fig. 24e). » Vanstone, James W. "The Speck Collection of Montagnais Material Culture from the Lower St. Lawrence Drainage, Quebec." Fieldiana. Anthropology. New Series, No. 5 (October 29, 1982), p.14, fig 24e (p.37).