Fish for the Family

A set of 36 photographs of Lydia and Napthelie McKenzie and their family catching, preparing, and cooking fish. -p01 to -p03: Lifting the net using the family freight canoe. At the time these big 18-foot canoes were used like half-ton trucks are today. -p04: With the cargo from the net the fishers head home. -p05: A variety of fish were caught in the net: walleye, northern pike, whitefish, and sucker. -p06: Lydia begins cleaning a northern. -p07: She makes a cut along the back. . . -p08: . . . and removes the fillet. -p09: When both fillets are removed she skins them. -p10 to -p11: Lydia continues filleting. -p12: One of her granddaughters wants to help and learn. The children are allowed to try out tools and learn by watching and imitating adults. -p13: Here she helps to wash the fillets. -p14: Now she watches Grandma. -p15: One of the little boys joins in, learning the names of parts of the fish. -p16: The little girl tries her hand at cutting the fish while her brother watches. -p17 to -p19: He then becomes interested in the parts of the fish guts, watching, touching, asking, and learning. -p20: Lydia splits a sucker in half to lay it out flat for smoking. -p21 to -p22: Lydia then cleans out the guts. -p23 to -p28: Her daughters Lillian and Jemima scale and prepare the suckers. -p29: A fire has been started and will be allowed to die down for the smoking. -30: Fillets are placed on the rack. Fish must be cooked or smoked as it will not keep in the summer. -p31: Napthelie adds fillets to the rack. -p32: A variety of fish on the rack. -p33: Jemima flours some fillets for frying. -p34: She puts them into the frying pan, while bannock cooks over the fire in a pan and on a stick. -p35: The fillets begin brown. -p36: Now they are done to a turn and ready!

Historical note:

Photographs of Lydia and Napthelie McKenzie on the family trapline near Stanley Mission, taken in 1974 by Lois Dalby of the Academic Education Branch of the Department of Northern Saskatchewan.