From the Mountains to the “Plain”: A Linguistic Reconsideration of Coast Salish “Plain” Woven Wool Textiles

Abstract

This thesis examines linguistic and art-making traditions of Coast Salish Peoples around x̌ʷəlč / Puget Sound. It utilizes a Lushootseed language-informed research methodology to examine archives of words and ethnographic sources to question the category of “Plain” twilled mountain goat, woolly dog, and bird down blankets to shed light on the weavings’ numerous formal qualities and uses; and it presents naming conventions for female weavers. Most importantly, this paper offers a suite of names for these historic and revitalized woven garments. Intended for use by Salish weavers and language learners, these words challenge previously theorized attributions, and they expand and complicate Coast Salish weaving typologies. This Lushootseed-focused art historical analysis reveals a deeply relational Coast Salish way of regarding weaving materials and ceremonial textiles around x̌ʷəlč, which unravels their former label as “Plain.”