Traditional Practices and Ceremonies

Cedar

Among Coast Salish people the cedar tree is considered sacred because it provides all the essentials for daily life. In the central coast area one of the most important dance ceremonies is centered on the Red Cedar.

Carvers like the wood because of its softness, straight grain, and light weight which make it perfect for carving. 

For the Coast Salish peoples, red cedar is known as the “tree of life”. Historically, the Coastal Salish people of Vancouver Island make everything from the various parts of this tree.

The tree has been used for shelter, clothing, totem poles, masks, tools, bracelets, hats, canoes, boxes, and for spiritual cleansing.

Canoes, paddles, bailers, houses and other structures were all made of cedar. Even clothing such as hats and capes were made from the inner bark of the cedar tree. The bark of the cedar tree was also used for mats and baskets to carry all sorts food such as berries, dried clams or roots and tubers.

Weaving 

Weaving was a very important part of the Coast Salish people’s traditional life. Still today, the Coast Salish people earn a living weaving extraordinary baskets, sweaters and rugs. Though both men and women knew how to weave, it was the women who were responsible for creating intricate baskets and clothing. Women made several types of containers including baskets for collecting clams, cooking baskets, pouches for gathering materials and lidded boxes. Women also collected the fur from the mountain goat and dog, twisted it into a long yarn and spun onto a spindle. This yarn was woven to create blankets, mats and items of clothing.

The Coast Salish used the natural resources in their environment to weave items.

There are many techniques to weaving along with variations in decoration. Here are examples of the most common techniques used in Coast Salish weavings and basketry:

Checker work is when the warp and weft are the same width, thickness and pliability. This is created by weaving the weft in and out, over one warp strand and under the next.

Twining work has two or more weft strands that are twisted, or twined, on each other as they weave in and out between the warps. Twining is good for both open and closed baskets. Closed twining can be watertight and is the standard weave of many woven baskets. Open twining has open space between the rows.

Coiled basketry uses a needle, such as a bone awl, and thin, flexible material (like string) to attach coils to form a basket. Beginning at the base, coils made of grasses spiral around. Stitches are used in various ways to hold the coils together.

Potlach 

The Potlatch is a traditional Northwest Coast gathering that has been occurring for many, many years. The Potlach is a gift giving feast. The potlatch is very important as it is a time for families and communities to celebrate the birth of children, naming ceremonies, marriage and memorials. The potlatch is also a way of establishing honour and a good reputation. At a Potlach there was plenty of good food and lots of singing, dancing, and storytelling. The celebration usually lasted several days. 

http://www.sfu.museum/time/en/panoramas/beach/potlatch/