12th Annual Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium
"Weaving Language and Culture Together"

    

Updates:

Presenter Application Deadline
(March 30, 2005)

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(Registration still open but spaces filling fast!)

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'At-a-Glance' SILS Agenda

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MARTHA FRED

Born in 1918, and originally from Ucluelet, BC, Martha Fred married into the Tseshaht Tribe of Port Alberni.

At the age of seven Martha started weaving, finishing baskets that her paternal grandmother had started. She stopped weaving at the age of twenty-four to raise her thirteen children. When one of her daughters took lessons at the Port Alberni Friendship Center in 1977 Martha started weaving again. Her work has been purchased by the Royal British Columbia Museum as well as museums in London, England; Australia; Toronto, Ontario; and Japan.

Martha currently passes her knowledge on to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and has taught classes on the Tseshaht Reserve.

Nuu-cha-nulth Basket Design
by Elder, Martha Fred

At the turn of the last century, Nuu-cha-nulth whalers on the West Coast of Vancouver Island used small baskets to carrying sun and windscreen, which was made of rendered deer fat sometimes combined with powdered sea shells. These baskets were attached to the sides of the canoes near each whaler, for easy access. This cultural and historical knowledge is contained in the design of Martha's basket, which includes images of canoes, humans and whales.

These intricate baskets are constructed of three different grasses that are gathered in various areas in early July when they have reached maturity, but have not yet flowered. The outer grass, called bear or cut grass grows at the mouths of creeks. The inner grass is three-corner or raisin-head grass, which grows in salt water swampy areas. Baskets made from this type of grass are sometimes referred to as swamp grass baskets. Traditionally cedarbark was used with bear grass for twined weaving, but now the more accessible raffia is often used.

Once the grasses are gathered, they are cleaned and separated according to size. Each piece of the bear grass is split and it is hung in bunches to dry in the sun. Some of the grasses are dyed different colors. Before use, each blade is split to a uniform width thereby creating an even and consistent shape for weaving.

After European contact, in addition to baskets, many items, including shells, bottles, vases, and flowerpots, were covered in this style of weaving. Although this beautiful art form had almost been lost, in recent years a few diligent weavers have renewed the practice, through research, creation and teaching others.