Weaving of Cedar Bark
Women enjoyed the praise and prestige that came from
their skill in basketry and other weaving - which was and still
is, exclusively a woman’s art.The inner bark of the cedar was
used as the warp, weft or both and sometimes in combination with
cedar or spruce roots.
In all homes basketry filled a vital need as a container,
both for storage and of transportation of goods. While some baskets
had multiple uses, others were made for a specific purpose. Baskets,
which were tightly woven of spruce roots, were used to carry water.
Women used baskets for gathering berries, bulbs, roots, shoots and
nuts. Men used them for carrying or storing the implements, tools
or other paraphernalia associated with their occupation or position.
Woven mats, made from inner cedar bark, served a wide
range of uses from birth to death. In addition to the plain mat,
designs ranged from twilled weave to stripes and plaids (using bark
dyed black and red). Sizes of mats varied, depending on their purpose,
and most families possessed a good assortment of them. Within the
house, people often placed mats on the walls to help insulate. These
wall mats measured about four feet wide and were about twice as
long. Large mats were also used as dividers between family units,
and could be hung from doorways to help keep out the cold.
Canoeists could use folded cedar bark mats as cushions
or to protect passengers and cargo from being drenched by windblown
spray. In daily life cedar bark mats were used for cleaning fish
on, for spreading berries out to dry, or to cover a cooking pot
of steaming fish. To ease the discomfort of a loaded burden basket
both men and women often folded a bark mat to make a protective
pad for their back. In some areas a woman birthed her newborn onto
a clean cedar mat, and mourners wrapped the body of the deceased
person in a mat before cremation.
Several ceremonial and ritual occasions involved the
use of cedar bark mats. At social functions and other events the
host family would unroll long narrow mats to provide clean seating
for the guests. Families and guests used to gamble on cedar mats,
gave them as potlatch gifts, and at day’s end slept upon them.
Home | Museum
| Village | Tours
| Gitxsan People | 'Ksan
Arts
Contact | Copyright | Links
& Credits
Phone: 250-842-5544
Toll free: 1-877-842-5518
Fax: 250-842-6533
ksan@ksan.org.
Box 326
Hazelton BC V0J 1Y0
This site produced by BC
Web
|
