‘Definitely a disappearing craft’
Labrador resident dedicated to preserving snowshoe-making tradition
Snowshoe season is officially on the go in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Long winters, a plethora of deep snow and a wide selection of spectacular landscapes make this province an ideal spot for snowshoe enthusiasts.
From the boreal forest and Arctic mountains of Labrador to the majestic fjords of western Newfoundland to the sprawling trails along the island’s east coast, the options are endless.
Of course, the practical value of snowshoes for hunting and wood harvesting exists alongside their recreational value.
WHAT TO WEAR
Now let’s get to the crux of the matter. What kind of snowshoe will you wear?
About 40 years ago, Labrador resident Bernie Crawford attempted to repair his own snowshoes due to a lack of commercial options and traditional crafters who made multiple pairs per season.
His interest and dedication paid off. Crawford now sells handcrafted snowshoes via his Facebook page, Bernie's Labrador Snowshoes, and teaches workshops about the craft.
“My family use them when hunting, gathering, and for pleasure during our long winters,” Crawford said.
“First, there has to be a significant desire to not only create your own snowshoes, but to maintain the tradition which is endangered.”
INDIGENOUS INSTRUCTION
Many of Crawford’s workshops were conducted with Indigenous participants.
“I taught a group of Labrador Inuit Association elders in the Nain school years ago,” Crawford said.
“They were the on the land instructors for the students in their area. It was interesting because I instructed men and women, some of whom did not have very good Englishspeaking skills."
Even so, he said, the instruction and skill sets are very easy to adapt and advance in the course.
"It took the best part of a week on site in Nain. I have also instructed young and old members of the Upper Lake Melville Labrador Inuit Association membership, and the Nunatukavut organization," he added.
TRADITIONAL FORM OF TRANSPORTATION
Long before European colonization, snowshoes were a traditional form of winter transportation for Indigenous peoples in Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada.
Snowshoes allowed them to travel over deep snow and to hunt without making a lot of noise.
They first had to harvest the right type of wood and hunt animals to make babiche, a string made of rawhide.
Snowshoe frames were usually made of durable and flexible wood like birch. Once harvested and cut, the wood was steamed or soaked in hot water to make it pliable for construction.
Snowshoes were then laced. The toe and tail sections were laced with a light babiche while the middle was a heavy babiche for better weight suspension.
'DISAPPEARING CRAFT'
With the arrival of Europeans, numerous explorers, fur traders and settlers adopted the snowshoe to make winter travel and work easier.
The rise of modern massmanufactured snowshoes featuring aluminum frames and steel cleats lowered the demand for traditional wood and rawhide ones.
Crawford acknowledges the mass-market options might suffer less damage and last longer, but some of his snowshoe frames lasted 30 years and can often be easily repaired.
The loss of cultural knowledge is incalculable.
“It is definitely a disappearing craft,” Crawford said.
“The actual harvesting of quality birch and producing good steamable slats seems to deter many from attempting the craft.”