Aboriginal Cultural Activities

Kumak is the Inuktitut name for fleas or lice. The tuft of hair on a stick is easy to handle and rub inside clothing. A kumak stick was an excellent invention by prehistoric Inuit to attract these insects.

Our activity uses tanned polar bear hair which is soft and relatively easy to sew. Rabbit fur is a great substitute.

A circle approximately 3 to 4 inches in diameter is cut out of paper and traced on the back of the fur. An ulu or utility knife can be used to cut the hide. Have some bandages ready. It might be advantageous to have a light pair of gloves to protect from the blade.

A leather needle and waxed sinew works well for this sewing. Place a knot at the end of the thread. Waxed sinew should be split to make it easier to sew. Start from the inside of the pattern.

Continue the sewing, using a spacing of approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch, between the stitches, depending on the thickness of the hide. In some cases it is best to thin a thick hide to make it easier to 'pucker'. Some sewers also dampen or wet the hide.

Hollowfill, an insulating material used in parkas or pieces of rag cloth can be rolled up and used as the fill in the sphere of the hide.

Stuff the hollowfill or cloth into the ball. Add more material if needed as you pull the stitches closer together. It is often easier to wrap the sinew thread around a pencil or other tool to assist in pulling on the thread.

Nanook is Inuktitut for polar bear. This activities recreates the making of a public health tool used in the past. But our final product makes a 'flake' that can be used to hang from various locations, such as a Christmas tree. We found that putting the fur ball on a freshly caught fox does indeed attract fleas.