Tamarack geese are model birds made from twigs, traditionally created by the
Cree
The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...
as decoys to be used during their spring and fall hunts.
They are made by gathering small twigs of the
Tamarack (''Larix laricina'') tree and tying them together around a central ball, also made of
Tamarack (''Larix laricina'') twigs using a thin brown string.
While they are being made they are often held together by a thicker string which is later cut. The hole in the head of the decoy, when held against the snow, is meant to represent the white patch on the side of the head of
Canada Geese
The art of making these birds was beginning to fade, but in 1968 John Blueboy of
Moose Factory, Ontario had the idea of reviving the practice by creating smaller versions to be sold as souvenirs.
Since then, many artists and artisans have picked up the art.
References
Cree culture
Decoys
{{FirstNations-stub