Thumlee Drybones-Foliot, a Dënesųłiné from Yellowknives Dene First Nation and a land-based educator at the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning, is responsible for sharing and teaching traditional practices. Currently, she is facing a challenge in her hide tanning process as she searches for a substitute for Sunlight Pure Soap bar, a crucial ingredient in her brain paste recipe.
Drybones-Foliot expressed her concern about the unavailability of the specific laundry soap that has been a staple in hide tanning for generations. The soap, when combined with boiled animal brains, forms a paste essential for keeping the hide soft during the tanning procedure.
She is not the only one affected by this issue. Sunlight Pure Soap, a longstanding brand in the market for over a century, was recently discontinued in Canada by the Henkel Corporation. This decision has forced hide tanners who relied on it for their brain paste recipes to seek alternative solutions.
Noticing the disappearance of the soap from stores, Drybones-Foliot resorted to online platforms to purchase it, only to find exorbitant prices due to individuals hoarding and reselling the product.
Melaw Nakehk’o, a Dene and Dënesųłıné hide tanner and artist, emphasized the unique qualities of the Sunlight soap bar, highlighting its concentration and practicality compared to liquid soaps, especially for outdoor activities like hide tanning.
Despite the setback of losing the familiar soap, Nakehk’o sees this as an opportunity for experimentation in the hide tanning process. She mentioned using alternative ingredients such as Ivory soap or soaps made from whale oil or bear fat to achieve similar results.
Drybones-Foliot, on the other hand, attempted to substitute Sunlight soap with Fels-Naptha in her brain paste recipe but remains skeptical about the imported bars not being identical to the original Canadian formulation.
Expressing her determination to bring back Sunlight Pure Soap Bars, Drybones-Foliot contacted Henkel’s customer service, urging others to join the effort to revive the beloved product.
Despite the challenges faced by hide tanners following the discontinuation of Sunlight soap, there is optimism for new methods and ingredients to be explored in the traditional practice. The loss of the iconic soap brand in Canada has sparked a creative shift in the hide tanning community.
Hide tanners in the North have been using Sunlight Pure Soap bar in their tanning paste for generations. But the company who makes it has discontinued the soap in North America. The CBC’s Julia Parrish speaks with host Lawrence Nayally about it.