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Densmore on making fish nets

In early time the nets or seines were made of nettle-stalk twine, the lighter twine being used for the fish nets and the stronger twine used for tying the nets to the poles. Manufactured twine for fish nets was issued to the Chippewa with their annuities at an early date. The implements now used in making fish nets are probably the same which have been used for many years and consist of a shuttle, which carries the twine, and a square piece of smooth wood around which the twine is passed before making the knot. With these is used a finger protector of leather, which is worn over the little finger of the right hand, the twine being tightly wound around the hand and pressing against the finger. The width of a net was measured by the number of meshes, and the length by the number of "arm spreads"...An average size is 19 meshes wide and 60 arm spreads long. Pieces of light wood about 12 inches long are fastened to the edge of the net as "floaters," and opposite each is a stone "sinker." The distance between these is twice a single "arm length."
from
Frances Densmore, Chippewa Customs (St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1979) 154.

The Ojibwe People's Dictionary is developed and maintained by:
Nora Livesay, Editor
John D. Nichols, Founder and Linguistic Editor

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