Knapping club showcase skills at Rendezvous

By Justin Seward - Lethbridge Herald on September 13, 2022.

Herald photo by Justin Seward Donn Paris shaves a rock into a spearhead during the knappers meet at the recent Fort Whoop-Up Black Powder rendeavzous. This was Paris's ninth time at the meet.

Members of the Alberta Knappers and Puget Sound Knappers attended the recent Fort Whoop-Up Black Powder Club Rendezvous to practice knapping basics and skills.

Knapping is replicating Indigenous tools, arrowheads, knives and spear points, to name a few.

“Our organization started seven years ago, just a few people, and then we had people from all over western Canada, the northern United States (that came here for a few years),” said John Easton, a Lethbridge stone knapper.

Easton is a member of the local archaeological society, and goes out on digs and does archaeological work to learn how the Indigenous peoples lived with what they used for tools.This is what peaked his interest in knapping.

“We make tools- arrowheads, knives, any old native-type tools and use obsidian…and it’s lava.”

The Knappers joined the Black Powder Club six years ago to provide a meeting location for members.

“We talked to the Black Powder shooters team and they invited us along and said you know we can bring our camping gear along and stay over for the weekend and join them,” said Easton.

“And they come and join us. None of us go out and shoot because none of us are capable enough. But they’re kind enough to let us come and join them and we all have fun and we all get together.”

“It helps us become more expert in what we do,” said Easton.

Donn Paris, whio hails from Elma, Washington, said everybody likes arrowheads and you learn to make them and learn to teach other people to make them.

“I bring rock up here because they don’t have it,” he said.

He said time is key to becoming a successful flint knapper.

“You get told all the things that there are to learn in an hour or less and then you’ll spend years at perfecting it,” he said.

His favourite works of art are the bigger pieces such as points with arrowheads, knives and spearpoints.

“I just enjoy doing it and it’s fun to teach people,” he said.