Coastal Clothing 1. Coastal Salish Weaving Wool Weaving Materials: The most common materials for weaving wool Coast Salish blankets, shawls or dresses was from using the Mountain Goat and from the wool dogs that were kept by the Coast Salish people. Wool from the mountain goat was a highly valued trade item. The S’Klallam traded with tribes close to the Cascade Mountains and from Canada for the prized wool. The other wool that was used by the S’Klallam people was from the wool dogs. The Coast Salish people’s wool dogs were raised for the value of the wool. There is no information as to were these wool dogs originated. All wool dogs were kept separate from the other tribal dogs because to mix with the common dogs would weaken and shorten the wool. The description of the wool dogs was of a small dog with long fine soft hair. The Northwest Coast Tribes were not what is considered an agriculture society, but as a fishing/hunting/gathering. But the raising the wool dogs as a domestic herd animal (there are accounts of native people herding and caring for dogs by native people and early contact explores), means that the Coast Salish practiced a form of agriculture. There are a few dog wool blankets in museums in Europe. Once contact with non-natives, the use for dog and mountain goat wool changed. The wool dogs were allowed to become extent as a separate breed and to mix with the other village dogs. The mountain goat became a sport animal for non-native hunters and the skin may have been valued with the hair as a rug, but the wool was not separated from the hide to be used for weaving. With the Coast Salish people being able to trade for pre-made blankets, wool coats, for yarn, sweaters, and other article of clothing there seemed no need to keep the dogs. Much

of the first wool materials i.e. sweaters, wool coats, blankets, would be unraveled and then re-woven in traditional Salish blankets. The other materials mixed into the wool were fireweed fluff (when the fireweed goes to seed in late summer), head of cattail rush, duck, goose, gull down and cedar bark. All of these materials would add warmth to the wool. Source: http://www.jamestowntribe.org/history/hist_weaving.htm

2. Cedar Bark Weaving Material: The inner bark of both the western red cedar, (Thuja plicata) and Alaska yellow cedar, (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) is used in weaving. Yellow cedar is harder to find on the Olympic Peninsula, it grows at a much higher elevation then the western red. In gathering the cedar bark you must be careful not to over harvest from one tree (unless from a downed tree). In taking only a small cedar bark strip from a tree, the empty strip will seal, and heal over, not causing damage to the standing tree, allowing for continued growth. Harvesting of cedar bark is done in the spring and at times in the fall. As soon as the bark is removed from the tree, you would separate the inner bark from the outer bark, (unless you are making a bent cedar bark basket). The inner bark is then dried and stored in a dry place for later use. Prepare: The nature of the two cedar trees makes the bark suited for different use and how to prepare. When using dried western red cedar bark for diapers, towels or clothing, you would beat the dry bark, using a blade type of beater with the bark placed over a sharp edge of a board. As you beat the red cedar bark you continue to move the bark over the sharp board edge making the bends every 1/8 of an inch. If using red cedar bark for baskets, mats etc. you soak the bark, then split and cut to length. To prepare yellow cedar bark, you must soak the bark for five (5) to seven (7) days (some people boil to soften faster). Once yellow cedar bark is soak you then beat the bark with a bark beater on a hard surface (such as a flat rock). The bark beater is a made either from hard wood or bone. The face used for beating is about 6 inches long, having groves cut the length and about 1/16 of an inch apart with the

handle 6 inches long. Yellow cedar bark is better suited for making clothing, it beats much finer (heavy thread size), and does not break or come apart as red cedar bark. Circle Looms: When making a skirt often a circular loom is used, this allows the weaver to continue weaving and the skirt will have no seam. To make a circle loom would take the use of three (3) poles tied close to the top and making a tripod, (similar to a teepee shape). Skirts, Shawls & Robes: The red and yellow cedar bark, are incredibly warm materials, plus have the advantage of shedding water. The yellow cedar bark has more oil so would be better at shedding water when used for clothing. Often cedar bark skirts would be woven in two layers, the inner layer next to the skin being very fine and the outer a heaver weave. Shawls and robes would be woven as the wool on a freestanding loom, not the salish loom. As with the wool shawls and robes the cedar barks ones may also be lined with down or fur. Source: http://www.jamestowntribe.org/history/hist_weaving.htm

3. Makah women known as Weisub and Neisub, Neah Bay, Washington, ca.1898

Source:

http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/loc&CISOPTR=1940&CISOBOX=1&REC=4

4. Puget Sound area woman sits near baskets and canoe, Washington, ca. 1903

Puget Sound Indian woman seated in river camp setting with canoe and baskets. Source: http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/loc&CISOPTR=1852&CISOBOX=1&REC=7

5. Chief Seattle

Source : http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/loc&CISOPTR=2181&CISOBOX=1&REC=19

6. Indians in ceremonial costume, Seattle, 1931

A group of Indians dressed in elaborate dance costume were photographed in the summer of 1931, possibly in connection with a display of Northwest Indian culture at the Seattle Exposition and Home Show. The two men on the right wear feather headgear typical of Coast Salish spirit dancers. The man on the left holds a painted drum which also appears in photographs of a group identified as Chief Blackthunder, Skykomish. This photograph is a valuable document as it was quite rare for people to display these costumes outside of their ceremonial context. Source: http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/loc&CISOPTR=95&CISOBOX=1&REC=2

7. Makah father and children (the Kallappas) pose for portrait, Washington, ca. 1880

Man in suit poses in front of painted backdrop with two girls (in shell & button cloaks and woven/beaded decorations) and a small boy, ca. 1860-1900. Source: http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/loc&CISOPTR=1965&CISOBOX=1&REC=11

8. Makah girls called Martha, Fanny, and Ellen at Neah Bay, Washington, ca. 1865

Three girls stand side by side holding hands. They wear beaded headbands, dresses, long beaded pieces around their necks, Neah Bay, Washington, ca. 18601870. Source: http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/loc&CISOPTR=2162&CISOBOX=1&REC=13

9. Cedar Bark Clothing

Source : http://www.k12.wa.us/IndianEd/Curriculum/IndiansofWashingtonState.pdf