First Nations weavers work to tell Coast Salish stories through rug design

Coast Salish weavers Chepximiya Siyam’ Chief Janice George and Skwetsimeltxw Willard ‘Buddy’ Joseph of the Squamish Nation have teamed up with two organizations to share traditional stories through the art of rug weaving.

Sacred Places: Threads of History is a collaboration between the two weavers, The Campaign for Wool, and Burritt Bros. Carpet & Floors. Together they have created a hand-knotted wool area-rug collection.

George and Joseph founded the L’henAwtxw Weaving House and are advocates of training weavers and sharing Coast Salish culture.

The rugs will be produced with 100 per cent Canadian wool and illustrate significant landscapes of the Squamish people—Two Sisters Mountains overlooking Vancouver, and Slhxí7lsh (Siwash or Standing Rock) at Stanley Park in Vancouver.

“We had names for these places and there's, you know, powerful energy that comes from the history of these places. And I think it's important to share,” said George. “It'll mean something to other people to hear these stories, for the general public so they can get that energetic connection and hopefully take care of that land as well.”

The collaboration launched with initial brainstorming sessions where George and Joseph envisioned the integration of local landmarks into the patterns.

Jenny De Castris, director of operations for Burritt Bros. Carpet & Floors and Colin Campbell & Sons, met with George and Joseph to begin creating sketched designs that depicted their ideas.

Burritt Bros. Carpet & Floors/ Colin Campbell & Sons is a fourth generation family-owned company that has been in the Vancouver area for more than 100 years.

“Upon approval of the sketch designs by Chief Janice and Buddy, we proceeded to collaboratively select yarn colors and order samples to test the final product from our weavers in Nepal. The wool yarn was supplied by Briggs & Little in New Brunswick,” said De Castris.

Briggs & Little Woolen Mills Ltd is Canada’s oldest wool mill started in 1857. It’s located in York Mills, New Brunswick.

“The rug collection narrates the stories of two revered sites for the Squamish people: Standing Rock and The Two Sisters. These narratives embody themes of dedication, transformation and the pursuit of peace, reflecting the rich oral history and cultural heritage of the Squamish community, while also showcasing traditional Coast Salish weaving designs in every rug,” said De Castris.

In the oral history of Sch’ich’iyuy: Two Sisters Mountains, two twin Squamish sisters are transformed as markers of a peace treaty. They had married warrior twins from the Stek’in (Haida) village who were once raiders of the Squamish Village. This partnership resulted in peace between the two nations.

The second story is about Slhxí7lsh. A man learned of his wife’s recent childbirth, but before he went to meet his newborn son, he retreated to train both physically and mentally so he would be the best version of himself. This act of dedication moved the spirit beings Xáays (transformer brothers), who turned the father into the rock to ensure his wisdom would be shared with future generations.

“So that’s the story that goes with that rock, you know, that memorial in Stanley Park that people have no clue what it means… We want to teach people about it,” said George.

Currently, two rugs and two runners have been made and will continue to be crafted on a made-to-order basis. Each of the rugs are 8 feet by 10 feet, and the runners are 2.6 feet by 10 feet.

To ensure the designs stayed rooted in Squamish culture and Coast Salish weaving, each one will include the designs’ story written in proper Squamish script followed by the English translation.

“We are thrilled to have met Chief Janice and Buddy… We have learned so much from the artists and we are proud to present a small piece of their traditions and storytelling to a wider audience,” De Castris said.

Matthew Rowe, CEO of the Campaign for Wool, explained how the non-profit organization and its campaign was “the catalyst that made this all happen.”

The focus of the organization is to bring various partners together to create wool products.

“The Campaign for Wool is an initiative of His Majesty the King to remind us all of the natural, sustainable and biodegradable benefits offered by wool,” said Rowe.

“It was launched 10 years ago in Canada in 2014. Our mission is basically to promote all of the natural sustainable fiber and develop opportunities specifically for Canadian wool and the Canadians who transform it and so this project brings those two elements together.”

The Sacred Places: Threads of History collection is available at Burritt Bros. & Colin Campbell. Sacred Places: Threads of History at Burritt Bros in Vancouver, BC (burrittfloors.com)

Local Journalism Initiative Reporters are supported by a financial contribution made by the Government of Canada.