Left: photo of a woman holding inflated intestine. Right: two photos of intestine being processed and cleaned.

IDENTITY: KNOWLEDGE

Gut Processing

Left: Untitled (Francis Usugan of Toksook Bay holds dried seal gut in preparation for making a seal gut parka), 1980. Photo by James H. Barker. Right top: Hunters pulling intestine out on the ice. Anchorage Museum AMRC-B1990-014-5-AKNative-9-3. Right bottom: Dr. Sven Haakanson, Jr. cleans bear intestine. Photo by Ellen Carrlee.

1. Harvesting

  • Animals give themselves to hunters based on appropriate and respectful human behaviors.
  • Hunting partners in the field and processing/ distribution relationships back home are key.
  • Hunters cut the mesentery tissue to free the intestine from coiled shape.
  • Contents are squeezed from the intestinal tube.
  • Hunter may bite the intestine to help release layers and ease processing.
  • Intestine is delivered to the women of the household who address its care immediately with cleaning and rinsing.

2. Cleaning

  • Water is used to rinse the intestinal tube.
  • Cleaning must happen early in the process to prevent decomposition from enzymes.
  • Rinsing may reveal holes through leaks.
  • This step might happen outdoors at the shore or indoors at the sink.