Today, all of my family came to skin the bark off of the Ohyo trees (Lobed Elm).
The Ohyo trees are usually sticky inside, but it's really easy to peel off at this time of the year.
So my family gathers at this time every year, and does this kind of work.
We Ainu love gathering with people.
And this work has to be taught to the next generation, but can only be done once a year.
Hit it. Tap, tap.
That's weak.
Then...
Let it go and then use momentum to pull it.
Pull it... like that!
It's fun!
Pull! Pull!
Twist it more.
Because there's a knot and twig, it'll come off anyways,
so twist it more and pull it hard, all at once.
Pull! Like that. Okay.
Then wrap it up, put it aside, and (when you have a bunch) bring it up.
So at each event, experienced people teach the techniques to newcomers.
So, many people come here every year to learn a lot of things,
and knowledge is passed on to the next generation.
It won't split.
Don't cut your fingers.
Oops!
Originally, it was said that trees would wear clothes.
We prayed saying, "Thank you for sharing your clothes." Then we would start peeling.
Before, we didn't peel off all the bark,
so that tree could live after, which is Ainu cultre.
And that's a part of Ainu culture that I admire.
But nowadays, we are told by the government to cut down specific trees,
so we cut down whole trees and take all the bark.
This corner
cut it like this, this is the side angle.
[playing music]
So you can make a whistle with ooitadori.
Depending on the thickness and length,
the sound can be changed.
So like this, Ainu people and non-Ainu people are doing this together.
This is not a ritual that only Ainu can do, or only Ainu should do,
because Ainu sees people as humans,
this should be the way it is,
so we gather here together, enjoying, being merry, full of happiness.
Are... are you guys going to throw me out of the car?
You're fine, I'm sure you can walk home.
I don't know when I'll get home.
After peeling and boiling the skins,
we wash off the stickiness or dirt.
So we're scraping off the slime from the surface using a spatula.
There are so many layers.
Put your hand in there and separate them.
This one is so easy.
Like this.
You split them.
Then you keep doing until it gets really thin, about one or two layers left?
Yeah, everything should be very thin, that's the ideal.
So when it's thin, wash it again and squeeze the water out.
Then we'll dye them.
All the steps until then, we do it here in the river.
This?
Yes.
Like this?
Yes.