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Decorating the Skin Lodge |
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On the Bear Lake Chief's lodge, three tassels were added to the painted red band around the middle of the lodge. According to Dogrib Elders, the tassels show the high status of the lodge owner. The red paint was made from ochre, a rock found in the region. The ochre was ground, mixed with water and melted fat, and painted on the tent with a person's finger. Ochre was traditionally used to decorate many objects, including snowshoes, canoes, and toboggans.
Only the lodges of the most important people were decorated. Many of these decorative patterns have been lost to time, but three Dogrib patterns have survived.
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