https://www.culturalalaska.com/new-blog daily 0.75 2016-12-06 https://www.culturalalaska.com/new-blog/2016/12/6/an-eis-cultural-resources-and-the-lone-commenter monthly 0.5 2016-12-07 https://www.culturalalaska.com/new-blog/2016/7/31/making-ancestral-slate-tools monthly 0.5 2016-08-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470017758480-DQHSG2L2UA7RJU0D79IY/01+Slate+tiles.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Slate tiles To efficiently make a bunch of tool blanks, I started with two slate floor tiles kindly donated by Rino's Tile and Stone to make the spear points and knives. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018188000-D20U3LR2767I7P3DJOZB/02+Slate+tiles+marked+for+spear+%26+knife+blanks.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Slate tiles marked for spear & knife blanks One slate tile will make 24 6"x1" blanks. Thanks go out to Raena's Dad for cutting these tiles into blanks https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018190148-BCX8B078RV2QSISC8Z8M/03+Splitting+some+raw+slate.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Splitting raw slate Slightly into the project, I realized the kids may want to make ulus or vashlas. I had already cut the two tiles and was ahead of schedule so I got some raw slate from Anchorage Sand and Gravel. They have raw slate from the Hope area on the Kenai Peninsula,which is cool. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018190584-5EEJGXYVLQUPGWNT5ZN2/04+Collecting+raw+shale+to+compare+to+slate.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Raw Shale After talking with the State Archaeologist, I also looked at using shale. My friend Ross, my son, and I headed out west of Chickaloon and collected some shale along the roadway next to the Matanuska River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018194150-E5KWK2CR7ITSH85TBJY9/05+Patterns+on+the+slate+%26+shale.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Tool patterns Here are some of the initial tool patterns on slate tile and raw shale blanks. Initially, I was going to go for longer knives but decided to get two knives out of each blank. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018192062-MY5DBDFGDQ6VHWXCDQ8M/06+Splitting+tile+slate+blanks.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Splitting the tile blanks To cut down on the grinding, I decided to split about a 1/4" off the thickness of the slate tile blanks (My wife Katie actually did most of the splitting. Thanks! I love you!). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018194587-Y6NYLPUPFNQM62ZJVKWF/07+Grinding+the+blanks+into+rough+tools.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Grinding into rough form After a bit of trial and error and some internet research, I realized my failing, bench grinder with a stone for grinding metal would not work. Luckily, I found a bench grinder for sale on craigslist capable of wet & dry grinding. Some helpful advice from Nature's Jewels Rock Shop and Lapidary pointed me towards a silicon carbide grinding stone, which I got at Grainger's. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018197610-044LJ83YVXSR6QTHWQ8N/08+Collecting+driftwood.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Collecting driftwood Driftwood seemed to be the most reasonable tool-handle material. It is easy to work with, plentiful nearby, and free. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018198640-TTC03NXPSLE1U4OA7JCD/09+Packing+the+driftwood+home.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Rallying the driftwood home. Everything easily fit on the bike for the ride home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018200705-EC0QUBF0ZFBB2FIC5KW1/10+Collecting+spruce+sap.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Spruce sap glue People in the area have been using spruce sap as glue for thousands of years because it works well and you don't have to go far to harvest it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018200926-CYKU66ZUL3CUM8L40NE5/11+Collecting+spruce+sap.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Spruce sap https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018203131-9YVXJ6EANI26DP039EHC/12+Collecting+spruce+sap.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - The jar of sap I collected the clear, yellow, and brown sap from spruce trees in our yard, my friends' yards, the yards of their neighbors. I also dropped the jar twice. Picking sap chunks out of fallen spruce needles is a humbling task. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470029927033-KR1R9AVR2YRZE2CMVR81/Evanoff+Fish+Camp+on+the+Newhalen.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Fish Camp The Evanoff family was kind and let me stay at their fish camp on the Newhalen River. It is an amazing place. Thank you! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018214030-BV04MHDO4FXAIAQ75K9P/Nondalton+-+Making+some+tools.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Nondalton Here's some of us working on our slate tools at the NPS youth day camp in Nondalton. Adults and kids turned out to grind some slate! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018203241-UBPXPC52PQ7F34FPRGCQ/13+Grooving+the+driftwood+handles.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Grooving the handles This wood groover I got at the Anchorage House of Hobby proved invaluable for starting straight grooves in which to insert the blades. I finished the grooves with a Dremmel tool due to time constraints. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018204941-5S0X2X34BW5XPLKTY7BT/14+Warming+the+spruce+sap.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Heating the spruce sap At the day camps, I used a camp stove to heat the spruce sap to liquefy it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018205376-YNKXQK6T4L541XURDOD3/15+Getting+the+sap+in+the+handle.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Glue in the groove A plastic knife works well for getting the spruce sap glue into the groove of the driftwood handle. A thin stick would also work great. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018206890-M7SNEKAA1JJMOT65SHC6/16+Inserting+the+blade.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Lining up the blade We found the blade sometimes fits a little better in the groove one way more so than the other. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018207104-JS1L5Z7PXDMUTCK9XOIO/17+Setting+the+blade.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Setting the blade Once things are lined up, just squeeze them together. Be sure you are wearing gloves, because the sap is hot and the blade edge may be sharp depending how well you sharpen it. Once that sap dries, the blade is set! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018208296-EI8A5A9Z8JLPE2OBI27R/18+Blade+is+in+the+handle.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Colleen's ulu This is Colleen's finished ulu. She did a fantastic job grinding, shaping, and sharpening the blade. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018215398-KBTTSONMXHP53CA1XVLF/Nondalton+-+Some+of+the+finished+tools.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Nondalton slate tools Here are some the traditional slate tools made at the Nondalton youth day camp. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018214701-IF9OIIJ6KCYVIFLYXI1D/Nondalton+-+Participants.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Nondalton youth day camp Here's some of us showing off the slate tools we made! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018210876-RFHWCIUXH79MPBD5WAQH/Newhalen+-+Things+layed+out+%26+ready+for+the+kids.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Set up in Newhalen Things are all laid out and ready for the Newhalen youth day camp. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018212442-76IO400D9OZRPJMKLHAN/Newhalen.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Newhalen grinding some slate Adults and youth turned out for the day camp and a lot of them ground some slate! The Campfire program leaders even joined in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018210203-JQAX3V2RPGD9N8G5LQLW/Newhalen+-+Some+of+the+finished+tools.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Newhalen slate tools Here are some of the slate tools we made in Newhalen! The driftwood for the two long handled knives was collected from the shore of Sixmile Lake. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1470018209441-KX1DTQJCDV5EYDM8QZKC/Newhalen+-+Kids+%26+tools.jpg Knowledge - Making traditional slate tools in Nondalton and Newhalen - Newhalen youth day camp Some of the camp showing off their work! https://www.culturalalaska.com/home daily 1.0 2020-06-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1461521755415-132QNTXJ2FEW8XKWZ6WD/Smoking+Salmon+in+Nondalton Home Canning Salmon in Nondalton (Photo by Katie Myers) https://www.culturalalaska.com/contact-1 daily 0.75 2020-06-09 https://www.culturalalaska.com/the-facts daily 0.75 2024-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c228a3f850820268e1bfb5/1461433014501-9PB6BNVBJRHIMIK0JU0O/File_000.jpeg About https://www.culturalalaska.com/services-1 daily 0.75 2022-08-11 https://www.culturalalaska.com/experience daily 0.75 2024-07-25