Our ancestors have used sinew thread since the beginning of time and still use it to this day. People travelled long distances to hunt caribou for their muscle strip, which is the long, thick muscle from the back leg of the caribou that is made into sinew. The sinew is dried and woven by hand for many hours, then soaked in water to loosen the strip. Once loose, the strip is then woven by hand again for many hours. Once this is done, it is shredded into fine strips of thread and ready for sewing. There were no needles in the past, so sinew was used as a needle and, thus, many things could be made with it. Sinew thread was used to make tents, pants, moccasins, shirts, dresses, jackets and mitts.
Photo of the late Adele Wedawin, holding sinew strips