1. Tie off a 2 feet bunch of tules, 2" in diameter in the middle with dampened cattail leaf, twisted into a cord.
2. Twine into 3 bundles with cattail cord, about 3" from middle. The 1st bundle should use half of the tules, the second bundle use 2/3 of what remains, and the 3rd bundle uses what's left.
3. Bend the bundle in the middle and continue on across to the other side, twining into 3 parts, going from smallest to largest.
4. Twine a 2nd row of 6 bundles across the whole ducks body, about 3" from the 1st row. Then tie the whole body together another 3" from this 2nd row with a cattail cord. Sculpt the body to shape, making sure the base is open and wide. Cut off the excess tail at an angle.
5. Use tule to make the basic head shape, with each coil of
tule passing through the top of the body. Make sure the neck sticks
up only about 2". Then wrap with dampened cattail leaf or
split tule until the desired shape is achieved. Finish by running
the end of the wrapper into the body and tying it off. Add paint
and feathers as desired.
This article was first published in The
Bulletin of Primitive Technology (Vol. 1, Spring 1993, #5)
E-mail your comments to "Norm Kidder" at atlatl1@aol.com
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