Tradition and the Canadian Indian

Review article Tradition and the Canadian Indian KENNETH E. KIDD Paula Gustafson, Salish Weaving. Vancouver: Douglas & Mcintyre; Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1980. 101 Illus. 132 pp. The People of 'Ksan, Gathering What the Great Nature Provided : Food Traditions of the Gitksan. Vancouver: Douglas & Mcintyre; Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1980. 127 pp. Illus. N. Jaye Fredrickson and Sandra Gibb, The Covenant Chain: Indian Ceremonial and Trade Silver. Ottawa: National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada, 1980. 168 pp. Illus. Kenneth James Hughes, The Life and Art ofJackson Beardy. Toronto: James Lorimer, 1979. 26 Illus. 49 pp. The four books reviewed here all deal with some aspect of .Canadian Indian life. The first is an attempt to classify and describe the development of the socalled Salish blanket from the latter half of the nineteenth century to the present. The second is a compendium of foods used· by the people of Gitksan and covers the sources of these, their preparation and the native nomenclature. The third is a catalogue of an exhibition of silver ornaments used in the fur trade with the native peoples, chiefly in the last half of the eighteenth century and the early part of the nineteenth century; the exhibition was mounted by the National Museum of Man in 1979, and has travelled extensively since then to various centres. The last book describes the life and work of a contemporary Cree artist. Of these, only the second was written and prepared by a committee of native researchers and writers; the others are by non-natives. * * * Salish Weaving was written by Paula Gustafson whose home is in the lower valley of the Fraser River in British Columbia, the heartland of the Salish people. It has been known for a long time that the Salish wove textiles, chiefly of mountain goat wool. Frequently the wool was mixed with the fibres of the stinging nettle and/or Indian hemp, and particularly with cedar bark, to produce ceremonial robes and articles of value to be used in potlatching. The technique employed a standing loom of rather limited versatility, yet capable of producing textiles of great beauty and considerable diversity. Salish blankets were regarded by their owners as both useful and meaningful. Like nearly all artifacts of Indian origin, they were symbolic creations reflecting the people's concepts of the universe around them. The craft had its origin in prehistoric times, perhaps as 222 long ago as 1200 years, and was not discontinued until the early part of the present century. European textiles, the changes in cultural values among the Salish and the relatively high cost of producing native textiles brought about its demise. However, in the last two or three decades, some native people, men as well as women, have set out to revive this almost forgotten craft -and today it is contributing anew to the enrichment of our heritage. Miss Gustafson is herself a weaver (and a potter), and so has a good understanding of the loom, its techniques, its capabilities, and is a competent judge of its products. She is an indefatigable researcher and appears to have left no avenue to knowledge untrodden, investigating little known material, piecing together the information acquired and providing us with a well integrated report on these rather rare examples of native Canadian craftsmanship. Miss Gustafson has provided the reader with excellent photographs (including five colour plates) of key pieces, looms, native people wearing robes or blankets, the animal sources of materials (including the controversial painting by Paul Kane showing the white dog alleged to have provided hair for the making of some Salish blankets), plants used as sources of fibres, and tools employed in weaving. The author concludes, incidentally, that the white dog did not contribute material, since she has found no example yielding evidence of its hair in any collection. In addition to the lucid and straightforward text, amplified as it is with easily understood sketches to illustrate points not otherwise clear, the book is provided with a glossary of weaving terms in common use, a bibliography and an index. There is also an appendix and a catalogue of Salish weavings in museums and art galleries. Sa/ish Weaving is a valuable...