Gathering Basket Material:

Even the knowledge of when to gather roots or bark for basket making was a gift.

If you are to go out root digging with an elder, be prepared to be out all day, starting from early morning.

The whole process is not rushed, but it is considered a time of contemplation. The outdoor is a place to show gratitude for nature being so unselfishly giving.

Basket

Secwepemc women played many important roles in their society. One of these roles was to create functional household items such as cedar root and birch bark baskets. Women possessed a gift for designing and weaving beautiful baskets which were used for many purposes.

Some baskets were woven or coiled intricately together with beautiful designs made from the bark of other plants. Others were sewn together using bone or wooden awls and roots. Even though the baskets may have been sewn or put together with the finest care, they were used every day for cooking, harvesting, or storing goods.

The late elder Mildred Gottfriedson said, "Secwepemc women made some of the finest, most durable, decorated baskets." These baskets were woven so tightly they could hold water. Hot stones could then be dropped into the water so that food could be cooked. Baskets were also used for gathering food during berry picking or root digging time. Sometimes baskets were used while collecting medicine.

Care had to be taken to harvest basket making material at the proper time. For instance, birch bark was gathered at a time when it was ready to be cut from the trees so that the trees would continue to survive. The bark chosen needed to be supple and durable with a small grain.

Baskets of all Kinds:

Secwepemc baskets were made of several kinds of material such as, birch bark and cedar-root. Each basket had a different shape.

Oblong baskets with high flat sides were used for keeping water warm. Some were used for melting snow and holding skins or dyes. These were made of woven spruce, balsam or poplar bark. Smaller baskets of the same materials were used for cooking berries.

Large oblong baskets made of coiled cedar root were used for storing things. Most baskets that held water were made of birch-bark. Those used for carrying water were round, deep and straight-sided. Those used for storing water were square-bottomed, with a smaller top.

Steaming baskets had flared sides. Birch-bark berry-picking baskets had straps of buckskin attached for carrying.

Large round or square woven baskets with handles or tumplines were used for carrying supplies.

The roots most commonly used were spruce-root and cedar-root. Elders say that it takes a great deal of a patience to follow a root underground for a long way. In times past you could get one root that was a hundred metres long. Now, because nutrients in the soil have been depleted, the roots are thinner and shorter.

Cherry-bark was sometimes used for producing ornamental, intricate designs on the baskets. Some baskets had this bark sewn into the rim. The rim was also reinforced and strengthened by a rod or rods which was sewn into the top creating a zigzag design at the top. This alternating zigzag stitch was used because if the basket was sewn in one straight line the bark would tear. Another way to strengthen the rim was to use another bark strip which was sometimes cut in an ornamental way creating a stunning, artistic effect. Other types of stitches were also used to create appealing designs.

Birch-bark Basket

Another form of decoration on the baskets was created by cutting geometric shapes or hand drawn pictures into the bark. The designs were similar to those seen in pictographs or symbols representing nature. Other baskets were sewn with flattened, sometimes dyed, quills which also produced beautiful designs.

Material gathered was always cleaned, stripped to usable widths and size and stored in a safe dry place. The making of baskets was done after all the materials were prepared. Just like making other useful household items, the women would take care deciding what kind of basket to make. Much thought was put into each cut, and each action.

With children in the midst, women were able to retell stories about people, places, and events while they gathered, cleaned and sewed. Basket making was a special time that allowed the use of natural resources, time and space for the women to gather, learn and work together.


Activity: Weaving

If you would like to make a basket to hold your favourite things, try the following art activity. Instead of using birch bark you will use strips of coloured construction paper (unless you have an elder who can help you find birch bark). Cut out several strips of construction paper and begin to weave your basket.

Important Information to Remember:
  • Women were the basket weavers in the village. They were believed to have a special gift for designing and weaving baskets.
  • Baskets were used for cooking, This was done by placing hot rocks in a water filled basket. Baskets were also used for gathering and storing food.
  • Baskets were woven from the bark of several types of trees and the roots of the spruce and cedar tree