Fish Spears

Three experimental spears, also called leisters, leesters, lesters. These can be used to spear fish and eels. Fish spearing was usually done at night from a canoe using a torch to attract the quarry. Two spears are carbonized to minimize light reflection. The shafts are only six feet but would have been much longer in actual use. Paper birch, maple, ash, cedar, hemp and rawhide were used. The middle spear is wrapped with twine made from cedar bark and glued with pine pitch. They are oiled to protect the construction techniques from water. The width between the guides or wings would be designed for the fish size expected. Fish bodies are soft and compressible and would wedge between and not likely escape.

Crafted by Patrick “Blackhand” Lamphere, Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, St. Francis/Sokoki Band, #65954, Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, Alnôbaiwi.