FAQs
What is your cancellation policy?
For in-person courses: we offer credits up to two weeks before a class and no refund closer to the class than 2 weeks, exceptions for emergencies of course. A person can pass their spot along to another if they decide to not attend last minute.
For shop tools: if you send a cancellation email before we ship, we will cancel the order for you.
For online programs: there are no refunds. If you would like to rescind your place in a cohort before it begins, those funds will go to our sponsorship program for Indigenous learners.
Do you use Chemicals in the Hide Tanning process?
All of the hide tanning methods we use are natural. We do not use synthetic (human-made) or toxic chemicals. We do not use chrome or syntan. The word ‘chemical’ itself does not mean something is toxic, so let’s be clear: using smoke, tree bark, and limestone – to name a few ingredients in some hide tanning methods – involves using chemicals and their attendant hazards.
Do you teach in the United States?
Fern + Roe is a Canadian company and as such it does not offer in-person instruction in the United States. American residents may sign up for our online programs and purchase products from the online shop. And of course, American residents can travel to Canada for our in-person courses (and you can now on-site at Anneth Farm!). We love’d love to meet you.
Why are prices in usd?
Fern + Roe’s online programs are in USD. We are a Canadian-based company and when you learn with us in person, you’ll pay CAD for on-the-ground workshops.
In Hide Club and Hide Tanning 101, we serve folks from far and wide and use USD, the currency of international exchange.
We also use USD for tool sales as our raw materials are in USD. This helps us keep prices consistent and affordable.
How do you source/credit the methods you teach?
Each of the instructors at Fern + Roe follows their teachers and lineages for the hide tanning methods they teach. Some methods are passed down culturally, some were researched in the historical record, and all are taught in alignment with a person’s cultural and ancestral lineage.
For example, smoke-tanning (brain-tanning) is a method found worldwide, but the specific techniques within that method vary from culture to culture. If a teacher has European ancestry, they will use a bucking solution rather than a creek-soak to prepare the hides, whereas someone from a First Nation may use a creek-soak or frost scrape their hide instead of using a bucking solution. Many hide tanning techniques are proprietary and even ceremonial, so it is important that a tanner sources techniques from their own cultural heritage.
In addition to techniques, the aesthetics that textiles take on once they’ve been sewn into bags, clothing, or crafts is also something important to consider. Please see below.
What is cultural appropriation?
Cultural appropriation is the nonconsensual taking and/or sharing of items, ideas, and/or aesthetics from a community that is not one’s own.
Cultural motifs carry great significance within their community context, and when they are taken and/or shared outside of this, it can leave people feeling pained and bereft. Cultural appropriation also creates obstacles for artists and artisans to promote their work as authentic crafts from their own community’s creative source. If the field is flooded with ‘knock-offs’ and copycat motifs, artists and artisans from a community are less able to represent their unique cultural heritage to the world.
So, how can we step above this and step into cultural integrity?
Asking ourselves these questions can help:
Did my grandmother, grandfather, and ancestors make this craft?
(example: beadwork)Where geographically does this style originate? Is it found repeatedly throughout the world or is it unique to a specific place?
(example: fringe)Is there an analog to this type of craft or aethetic in my lineage?
(example: embroidery)Do I have permission to share this piece of information?
(example: learning about a specific hide tanning technique from someone, from their community)
What’s the difference between NatuRal Hide Tanning and commercial Leather?
Natural hide tanning is comprised of the three broad categories that describe the ingredients which go into the hides, to turn them into textile: smoke-tanning (brain-tanning); mineral tanning; and bark-tanning.
Commercial leather is usually made from chromium (“chrome tanned”), a toxic substance that was once a byproduct of the gold mining industry and which now constitutes a mining industry for leather in its own right.
Commercial “veg tanning” uses the language of natural hide tanning but employs chromium and other toxic substances in its use, and the methods used to harvest and extract tannins are environmentally damaging. There is no minimum standard requirement for veg-tan leather. In the same way that “rye whiskey” and “corn bourbon” may not contain much of the ingredients they are branded upon, “vegtan leather” may not contain much “veg” material at all. There are exceptions - there are a few micro veg tanneries in the united States and elsewhere. If a company doesn’t tell you what goes into its leather, assume it contains chromium.
I heard Hide Tanning is hard work
Well, yes. Hide tanning takes physical (and mental) effort and endurance, especially the Mineral Tanning and Smoke-tanning methods. Many people experience mild muscle soreness after day 1 and day 2 of these classes. Hide tanning is accessible for people of all ages, though we encourage anyone younger than 15 years old to pair up with a buddy or an adult.
Can Accessibility needs be met with Fern + Roe?
Yes, we strive to meet accessibility needs as much as we can. The grounds at the Fern + Roe studio are wheelchair accessible. Each part of the hide tanning process can be accomplished from a seated position, including softening the hide with our frames. Please email us in advance of a class if you have access needs that we can meet.
Where can I find animal hides in my local area?
We recommend asking local abattoirs and game processors who may give away or sell fresh animal hides. Making friends with hunters, trappers, and farmers is also a great way to find hides. Fern + Roe sells salted (preserved) sheepskins and deer hides in the online shop.
How do I request a class in my local area?
You can request a class in your local area by going to our Custom Instruction page.