Tools

Canoes were used to travelling along the coast, as well as up the many inlets and rivers. As the canoe ploughed through the ocean or river, water would often spill in side. The paddlers  had to scope out the water to keep the boat afloat and dry.

Here is a small paddle made from a single piece of yellow cedar. Can you see figures painted onto the surface? These represent bears and whales.

Why would these animal figures be painted on a paddle? They are important to Coast Salish people. These animals appear in the ancient stories of the Salish. They bring together humans and non-human people in a special relationship.  

Can you see how three different colours have been used on this basket? To make it, the woman artist split pieces of brown cedar root. Red and white cherry bark was also added.

This was a complicated pattern which the women created. Can you see cords attached inside to the basket? What would they have been used for? Cooking? How? The basket could have been filled with liquid and/or food and heated rocks were then added to make the contents hot.

Here is a picture of a hat. Hats were made from woven cedar bark. The bark is closely woven, that they are watertight.

Coast Salish Spindle Whorl 

Many Salish spindle whorls have sophisticated and powerful carved designs; human, animal and geometric. The whorl was placed on a wooden spindle to add the weight needed to maintain the spinning motion, and to prevent the wool from falling off the rod as it was being spun.

As the whorl turned, the designs would blur together, mesmerizing the spinner. This trance state was considered vital because it gave the spinner the ability to create textiles imbued with special powers.