A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
Young hunters in front of the target. Photo: Derrick Lafrance.
The back tip of the Spear (feather) is rested on the launcher. The tape is rawhide and it secures a stone which is inserted into the back tip of the spear to support it. The hunter will flick the spear in the same manor of throwing a hatchet. Photo: Derrick Lafrance.
Iawenakwas getting the technique down. Photo: Derrick Lafrance.
By Derrick Lafrance
An old and ancient tradition of hunting was brought to life with local kids having fun while learning about an old hunting skill.
Professor Tim Messner of SUNY Potsdam brought his implements for this event. The spear is a regular spear, but the blunt end is hallowed out. A smaller stick with a curve and a pointy end is inserted in the hollow end and the thrower uses leverage to hurl the spear. The idea is similar to those play airplanes that you whip with wrist action but on a bigger scale.
Atlatl has been in use for the past 30,000 years when the hunters went after Mammoths and that spirit was relived at the Akwesasne Museum as Messner brought a Mammoth shaped target as well as regular targets. The Atlatl was also used in wars throughout history and a very old spear and launcher was sold for $100,000 at auction.
It took some practice, but the participants picked up the skill and became more accurate in hitting the targets. After that they divided up into teams for some competition. The local participants settled in and started to bury the spears into the targets whereas in the early stages of the event the spears were not reaching the targets or simply bouncing off.
Dr. Messner is in the Anthropology program at SUNY Potsdam and this hands-on Atlatl Battle is just one of his experimental anthropology projects. Another of his projects was having students carve out a 16-foot-long white pine log using stone age tools. When it was done the class took it for spin around the Raquette River in Potsdam.
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