Basket Item Number: 2911/7 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Rectangular cedar basket with two handles. The basket is straight sided but flares slightly toward the top. Two long rounded handles are attached to the top edge of the long sides. The exterior walls are decorated with short imbricated bar patterns of light brown, dark brown and dark red.

Narrative

Lutia Bidin was the mother of the donor, Rina Honderich. The Bidins had immigrated to Canada in the early 1900s, and moved from Deroche, BC to Woodfibre, BC c. 1918. Rina remembered women from Squamish canoeing over to Woodfibre to trade with her mother. Her mother would trade things like knitted socks, clothing and mats that she had made, for baskets that the Squamish women had made. Each would make a pile and when both sides agreed the exchange would take place. The baskets were used during the daily life of the family.