Salish Weavers Guild facts for kids

The Salish Weavers Guild was a special group that started in 1971 and ended around 1990. This group had two shops in Sardis, Chilliwack, which is in British Columbia, Canada. The Guild was a formal society that helped local Salish weavers from all over the Stó:lō territory, especially around the Fraser Valley. They focused on making and selling beautiful Salish weavings. The Guild was very good at encouraging Stó:lō culture, art, learning, and community spirit. It was formed because Salish weaving became popular again in the 1960s.

How Salish Weaving Came Back

The art of Salish weaving in the Fraser Valley almost disappeared. But thanks to Oliver Wells and two amazing Stó:lō women, Mary Peters from Skwah First Nation and Adeline Lorenzetto from Ohamil First Nation, it came back to life!

Rediscovering Old Ways

Oliver Wells and Adeline Lorenzetto worked together to figure out how the old weavers made their blankets. They built a special loom (a machine for weaving) and carefully unraveled a piece of an old blanket to learn its secrets. They even made two new blankets. One used traditional mountain goat hair, and the other used sheep's wool.

Mary Peters's Knowledge

While Wells thought the weaving art was lost, Mary Peters was still creating traditional Salish weavings. She learned everything from her mother, keeping the old knowledge alive. People in her community said she "knew everything" even though she didn't go to school. When Wells met Mary, she and Adeline kept weaving in their free time. Soon, many others joined them.

Forming the Guild

The Salish Weavers Guild officially started in 1971. This was a year after Oliver Wells passed away. The women wanted to continue their weaving work in a formal way. This also helped them get money from the government. With support from Wells's wife Sara and his daughter Marie Weeden, the Salish Weavers continued their business. They now called themselves a 'Guild'. This formal group helped them open a store and keep track of their work and costs.

How the Guild Did Business

When the shop opened, every member of the Guild worked together. Each person had a special job in making the weavings.

Making the Weavings

Some members would spin the wool after another person had already carded it (combed it to make it smooth). Other members were in charge of dyeing the wool with different colors. By the time a weaving was finished, four or five different people might have helped make it! Most of this work was done in the weavers' homes. They often worked with their families, away from the busy shop.

Spreading the Word

The Salish Weavers' business grew a lot because happy customers told others about their beautiful work. But they also used other ways to get attention and sell more weavings.

Magazine and Newspaper Stories

One important way was through magazines and newspapers. Articles, like the one Oliver Wells wrote in 'The Beaver' in 1966, brought attention from buyers across Canada and even the world. The Guild's work was featured in magazines like 'Western Homes and Living,' 'Canadian Homes,' and 'Beautiful British Columbia magazine.' These stories helped more people see the women's amazing work, which led to more sales.

Special Orders and Branding

Many sales came from "commissions." This meant a customer would ask for a specific weaver or a special design and size. To help people remember their name, the Salish Weavers started putting tags on their weavings. These tags had the Guild's name and its special emblem, The Flying Goose. The Flying Goose showed that weaving and the "old ways" were coming back to life. This is because Canada geese always return to where they were born, just like a cycle.

Postcards for Advertising

Another way they advertised was with postcards. In 1971, the Guild ordered six thousand postcards to promote their work. These postcards were sold in many places in the Chilliwack area that sold postcards.

Family's Role in Weaving

Family was very important in all parts of the Guild's weaving. Younger people learned how to weave from their elders. Others helped with making the wool ready. Often, husbands would build looms for their wives, and children would help process the wool.

Building Community

The Salish Weavers Guild brought people together. It didn't matter where they were from or which community they belonged to. Everyone worked towards the same goal. The Guild helped build community at all levels.

Connecting in Chilliwack

One way was through the Chilliwack community. Every year the Guild was active, members would go to and host exhibitions. At the Edenbank farm, there was a summer exhibition where weavers showed their work. They also demonstrated how to spin and weave. Similarly, at the Annual Chilliwack fair, the women entered contests and sold their products.

Strengthening Stó:lō Nation

The Salish Weavers Guild brought together individuals and families from different Stó:lō communities. This created a strong sense of community and friendship within the Stó:lō Nation itself. Groups like the Salish Weavers Guild were very important for the health and well-being of Indigenous communities in the late 1900s.