Month: <span>November 2019</span>

Bannock

“We ask: do we really need bannock, or do we just desire bannock? Which leads to asking one of our Elders, Therese, about traditional flours, which leads to an afternoon collecting cat tails to make flour” (Ballantyne, 2014, pg.17). Bannock With winter upon us, I have been looking for an …

Birch Bark Basketry

Introduction Paper Birch (Betula neoalaskana Sarg.) Family: Betulaceae Meaning behind Latin names: Betula possibly comes from the Sanskrit word burga, meaning “a tree whose bark is for writing on,’ whereas neoalaskana means “new Alaska’ (Grey 2011, p. 242) Other common names: Alaskan paper birch, Resin birch, and Yukon white birch …

Beachgrass Basket

When you pick it you say a little prayer, thanking the grass for letting us have some of it, and that we won’t abuse it ~ Maria Turnpaugh (Smithsonian, 2003). Leymus mollis (Trin.) Pilg. (Poaceae) Taxonomy and Etymology: There have been several scientific names for this plant in the past, …