Beamers and Straight Scrapers

All skins are prepared by removing the meat, blubber and fascia. Skins are cleaned, dried and the hair is either rotted off or left intact. Masticated fish, prepubescent male urine, alder bark, fish eggs, brains, fat or smoke is used to tan skins. Ochre, alder bark, condensed fabric dye, and wet crêpe paper are used to stain skins. Red links the seamstresses with the blood of the animal spirits.

Skins are placed on a beam made from a piece of driftwood and scraped with a two-handed beamer to remove the fascia and soften the skins. Traditionally, blades were made from stone; today they are made from steel. Driftwood was used to make the long handles; the bone handle is made from a walrus bacculum (penis bone).