![]() ![]() Surely they were working from images and writings in circulation at the time. I think it needs to be restated that neither Grasset nor his artist can have come to the NW Coast. ![]() What do you think of the zig-zag weaving detail of the knob on top of the woman’s hat? Nootka tribe history skin#This skin is called Metamelth and is probably got from an animal of the moose kind, it is highly prized by these people, is their great war dress, and only worn when they wish to make the best possible display of themselves….” When dressed in this manner it becomes perfectly white and as pliable as the best deer’s leather, but almost as thick again…. This they prepare by dressing it in warm water, scraping off the hair and what flesh adheres to it carefully with sharp muscle (sic) shells, and spreading it out in the sun to dry, on wooden frame, so as to preserve the shape. ![]() “The chiefs have also mantles….one that is made from the skin of a certain large animal, which is brought from the South by the Wickanninish and Kla-iz-zarts. Here is how Jewitt described it (from Hilary Stewart’s amazing illustrated version of the journal, 1987:75-77, Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver (unfortunately out of print for some time now): From his accounts the raw hide came from the southern Nuu-chah-nulth, from Wickanninish (Clayoquot) and Kla-iz-zarts (Makah)–no doubt elk, and probably not herds of elk near Yuquot/Nootka Sound. He did daily journals, which are published, and in his books about his adventures and sufferings (which also was a play) wrote about the leather war garments. Talk about involuntary participant observer, but he did a good job in detail since he wanted to know as much as possible about the culture and became a proficient speaker of the language–all in the name of survival. My favorite ethnology, which was written just 15 years after your illustrated expedition to Nootka, is by John Jewitt, as slave to Maquinna from 1803 to 1805. Looks like attempts to show open twined yellow cedar bark capes/skirts and maybe some wrapped duck down on cords capes/skirts on royal people. I understand that sometimes artists back home take the sketches and produce these publishable images even though they did not do the original sketches or were part of the visiting group. Nootka tribe history license#Quentin and Ken: Love the clothing–looks like a lot of artist license in these finished paintings–would be wonderful to find the original sketches. The only clamon I know of is held at the Field Museum in Chicago Trade with Europeans and Americans also began before 1792 along adjacent parts of the coast line. Hides were being processed prior to this and may have found their way north, maybe in exchange for Nuu-Chah-Nulth freight canoe hulls. We have archaeological evidence for an explosion in production at contact at Cathlapotle where the numbers of end scrapers with hide working wear increase markedly with the appearance of trade beads. Broughton of the Vancouver expedition ascended the Columbia as far as the western end of the Columbia River Gorge in 1792 (the eastern edge of the modern Portland metro area) and maritime fur traders began visiting the river shortly thereafter to takeon clamons to trade farther north. It is interesting that 1787 is 5 years before the first reported European and American “discovery” of the Columbia and direct access to the local specialty. Other accounts have it stopping musket balls. The quoted armor description is clearly describing clamons, the elk hide armor made on the Lower Columbia and exported. Previous posts on Webber in Nootka Sound: watercolour scene, house interior, village scene. I should leave it up to the ethnohistorical specialists to fill me in on this document.īy the way, there are also two nice plates depicting clothing of Oonolashka (Unalaska, in the Aleutians), in addition to the “Nootka” ones. I suppose the image does show a long coat, or cloak, reaching to the ankles, but it leaves the nethers rather unprotected, one would think. Therefore they treat it like a complete defensive armour of chain-mail. ![]() It is strong enough to resist puncture, even pikes could not puncture it. It is sometimes covered with pleasant painted panels. It’s a coat made of double and triple-ply leather … it covers the chest to the neck and down to the heels. The Nootka inhabitants also have a specialized war garment. Cook was greeted at Yuquot with human body parts but I’m not aware of anything quite like this artifact! In the accompanying text, de Saint-Sauveur describes armour, and it doesn’t resemble this image much at all, apart from the feathers. The warrior above has a pretty fearsome club with a realistic human head. ![]()
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