Sealskin tanning, 24.-30.4.25

Hilda and Gurna from Disko in Greenland will come to Hysværet in Norway to teach us how they use everything from seal, both meat and skin in 5 full days. In Greenland seal is the most important resource and is used both for food and for clothing, in addition it is important for greenlanders identity.

Hilda and Gurna are proud greenlanders, that live a traditional lifestyle by hunting and fishing on the island Disko in West-Greenland.

In 2023 Sofie and Roni visited the pleasant couple, and got to learn how to tan sealskin with Hilda, and sew kamiks with tiny waterproof stiches. Hilda use ulu for everything that she does, and is happy to share her knowledge. She hopes that more people will learn how it is possible to use everything from the seal and live closer with nature. None can make as beautiful clothes from sealskin than natives in Greenland.

Sofie has under past years used time to study historical clothing and to learn different techniques of the greenlandic skin craft. More about it in Sofies Blogg.

Hilda speaks greenlandic and danish, but Sofie cares for that the course is understandable in english and norwegian.

Instruktors, tanning and skinsewing: Hilda Zeeb, Sofie Kleppe og Roni Öhman
Hunting, skinning and butchering of the meat: Kjell Hovland, Gurna Zeeb og Roni Öhman

Course contains, tanning
- Scraping and processing sealskins
- Softening and finishing sealskins
- Black shaved sealskin for soles
- Hvite dehaired sealskin for kamiks
- Seal guts

Course contains, sewing skin
- Basic techniques of sewing sealskin
- Pattern making of gloves
- Sewing sealskinns gloves

Course contains, meat
- Skinning seal
- Butchering and salting seal meat
- Cooking seal oil
- Working with seal guts

Course contains, lecture
- Storytelling and mytology of seal
- Sealskin and traditions in Greenland
- Traditions of using seal in Norway
- Managing of seal in Norway

Place
- Gåkkå Mathus, lies outward in Hysværet nature conservation area that is also part of World Heritage Area around of Vega. This cultural landscape is worth of visit on its own. You can get the feeling of simple fisherman lifestyle out on the coast.

- Øystein and Snefrid serves amazing food of local incredients
- https://www.visitvega.no/no/gaakkaa-mathus

What is included
- Full board, local and home made food in Gåkkå Mathus
- Accommodation in double rooms
- Boat transport to/from Brønnøysund harbour - Hysværet, with arriving 24/4 to dinner and leaving 30/4 after breakfast
- All the materials and rent of tools

What you take home
- One seal fur that you have processed in the course
- One pair of seal fur mittens that you have sewed
- Salted seal meat
- A piece of black and white seal skin
- A little bottle of seal oil

In addition you learn
- To process the seal bones and sinews
- Avittat, the magical greenlandic pattern, - an introduction
- From experts that have been practising these skills for decades

Price
If you sign up before 1.1.2025 you get the Early bird price of 16.000 NOK. Price after 1.1.2025 18.000 NOK.
A non-refundable deposit of 3000 NOK will secure your place.

Registration and questions to sofie@uluofnorway.no or roni@uluofnorway.no

Number of places on the course: 10

The project «Selen – vår gemensamme ressurs» is supported by Nordic Culture Point and Norwegian Handicraftinstitution.

Seal hunting in Norway is state regulated and our project has received special permission from the Ministry of Fisheries to hunt 5-10 seals. Hunter on the course Kjell Hovland has a hunting license and lifelong experience with traditional seal hunting, which is carried out in a small boat and as ethically correct way as possible.