Current Projects / Works in Progress

Trade of the Northwest Coast

The JayHawk Institute’s Duane and Betty Pasco present Trade of the Northwest Coast in partnership with the Suquamish Museum, from September 18 through June 11. The show explores trade by Native American Tribes along the Northwest Coast over thousands of years, as well as the unique “trade language” of Chinook that enabled communication along trade corridors.

For information on hours and how to get to the Suquamish Museum, click here.

Cedar Bark Canoe Sail

Artist, weaver and Suquamish Tribal Elder Betty Pasco lead project to create a full size woven cedar bark canoe sail. Made possible by generous grants from the Suquamish Tribe, the Potlatch fund, and gifts of time and materials by many, this sail is first such authentic Salish cedar bark canoe sail to ply Northwest coastal waters in over 150 years.

Work parties drew interested helpers from all over the region to help with the job of readying the cedar bark for weaving and immense task of weaving into a full size sail. Preparations included separating the strong inner bark fiber from the outer bark, soaking the bark to make it pliable, cutting the bark into strips that can further be cut into weavable widths, and thinning the strips into thicknesses that will make for a supple sail. In addition to the strips for weaving there was cordage to make from cedar bark and nettle twine—in all an effort that would span about a year and half.

The sail made its inaugeral voyage during the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s Return of Salmon Ceremony at Point Julia, Gamble Bay, on August 22, 2015.