Belagakhiganal by Blackhand

Crafted by 

 Patrick Lamphere, St. Francis/Sokoki band  Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi #65954

“The above are wood handled stone cutting and scraping tools sometimes called ulus or belagakhiganal in Abenaki. All are modern interpretations of pre-contact tools. Handles are cherry, birch, apple and ash. Mettowee valley red slate, Swanton red marble and an unidentified hard black stone were used for the cutting edges. They are tied with hemp twine or rawhide. A sharp edge is easily ground and maintained. Similar tools were made and used by Native Americans and others for thousands of years to cut, chop and prepare fish, blubber, meat and other foods. Tools of this type also were used to scrape flesh and fat from animal hides to prepare them for use or tanning. My brother and I made, repaired and used wood and metal scraping tools 65 years ago to “flesh” beaver, muskrat and mink pelts.”