Model kayak carved from antler (part a). Small figure (part b) sits inside cockpit, wearing a hooded parka. Eyes and mouth are incised, nose carved in low relief. Arms are held straight in front of body. Small notches along centre edges of hands to hold a separate double-bladed paddle (parts c and d; paddle is broken). Back of figure is polished; front is rough and dark grey, showing core of antler. In front of the figure, two harpoons are tied to the kayak with white fibre. Animal-shaped harpoon rest, with holes drilled along its length, in between them. Ends of kayak are carved in low relief.

Harpoon (part a) with a detachable head (part b). Harpoon has a flat shaft, made of two pieces of antler riveted together, that narrows to a point. Shaft is inserted into a wider “V”-shaped piece of antler, riveted to a cylindrical wooden handle. Knife-shaped, antler blade secured to opposite end of handle with hide ties and copper nails. Hide strip woven through the bottom centre of wooden handle. Strip held close to handle with hide and rope ties. Harpoon head consists of an oval-shaped steel blade, with a sharp point, riveted to a triangular holder. Long hide strap strung through hole drilled into centre of holder. End of strap has a loop handle.

Long model kayak made from dehaired seal skin. The kayaker is attached to the inside seat area of the kayak and consists of an upper body only; he wears a seal fur parka and holds a wooden model paddle out front, in both hands. The figure's face is made out of stocking, with an embroidered face, including part of a blue wool cap (or hair?). There is a separate model harpoon (part b) with a wood handle, antler point and sinew rope, that fits under the skin lashings of the kayak. Model is unsigned.

« 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).

Burned antler; 3 pieces

Burned antler

incised design; brown; note read, "Deer antler, used for digging roots"

cracked; brown/grey

Worked antler in sterile soil of North lip. Jesurun Stockdill 2/4/2010

Antler wedge associated just above sterile lense. Jesurun Stockdill 2/4/2010