The American Porcupine(Erethizon dorsatum), is from the rodent family. It is characterized by the long, sharp quills that line its back and tail. When threatened, a porcupine will bristle its quills and use them as defense against a predator by slapping the tail against the threat. Despite its aggressive appearance, the porcupine is a relatively docile and slow-moving creature. Because of these attributes, many tribes in the Northeast viewed the porcupine as a sacred animal that was not to be killed unless the circumstances were dire.
Despite the dangers presented by the porcupine, many tribes produce amazing craft work that includes delicate weavings made of quills. So how do they collect the quills without harming the animal? The secret lies in the structure of the quills. Lining the quills are tiny barbs. In nature, the barbs will hook into the predator’s flesh; causing a great deal of pain. This generally gives the porcupine time to escape. Natives have found a “harmless” way to gather the quills. They toss a large piece of leather over the porcupine. When the leather hits the animal, the porcupine reacts defensively; releasing the quills into the leather. The leather can then be removed to allow the porcupine to waddle away to safety without putting the individual at higher risk of injury. The quills can then be pulled from the leather and prepped for use with crafts, such as the beautiful basket pictured above.