Traditional Medicine

Caribou

Sinew, taken from around the spine of a caribou, is shredded, cleaned, dried and used as a thread for sewing up large cuts, for pulling out loose teeth, for clearing a blocked urinary tract (in which case it must first be twisted into a long stiff piece, and then greased with seal fat), and is used to bring pus to the surface of a boil. Caribou fat, the best of which comes from the kidney, is chewed and placed on cuts (to help stop the bleeding) or on boils and infections. Small slivers of fat can be inserted into the rectum to relieve constipation.