The crooked knife, known to the Cree and many other nations of the Eastern Woodlands as a mocotaugan, is a one handed draw knife used by canoe builders, snowshoe makers, and basket weavers. Though the name for the object changes among the various groups, the tool is universal in its employment, principally by men, but occasionally by women in basket making. The maker would use this tool to strip and split the layers of bark, primarily from ash trees, to be used in their artwork. These utilitarian objects were ergonomically fitted to the individual hand of the owner, and range from simple to elaborate in their decoration and design, such as this simple example which mimics the shape of a horse’s head.

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