Minnie Gray using pipe scraper.
Rick Riewe

Women's Tools

Pipe Scrapers and Hand Held Scrapers

Scraper handles are moulded to prevent blisters and to begin the process of unifying humans with the spirit world. Scrapers can communicate with animal spirits. They can also locate lost hunters by being tossed into the air and pointing towards the scraped skins worn by the hunter.

"One end of the pipe is sharp and the other end is dull. I use the sharp end to shave off a thin layer and the dull end to soften skins." Minnie Gray, Ambler, Alaska 1989.