FALL PNWAS
Thursday, October 3rd, 2024
Thursday, October 3rd, 2024
PART 1: The Deep-Water Technology
for Gathering Dentalium Shells:
Brooms and Spears &
PART II: A Clean Sweep—The Design
and Use of NW Coast Herring Rakes
By Daniel Meatte, former Archaeology
Program Manager, Washington State
Parks (this is the 7th PNWAS presentation
by Dan, Thank You).
for Gathering Dentalium Shells:
Brooms and Spears &
PART II: A Clean Sweep—The Design
and Use of NW Coast Herring Rakes
By Daniel Meatte, former Archaeology
Program Manager, Washington State
Parks (this is the 7th PNWAS presentation
by Dan, Thank You).
Theresa Yellow Lodge (Dakota) wearing decorative dentalium
shells.
PNWAS ZOOM Meeting
Thursday October 3rd 2024
starting at 6:30 PM
To join the ZOOM Meeting and see the presentation
please become a member today!
Thursday October 3rd 2024
starting at 6:30 PM
To join the ZOOM Meeting and see the presentation
please become a member today!
Join Daniel Meatte for an overview of dentalium, one of the Pacific Northwest’s most highly prized decorative shells. Also known as hiqua, these curved, tusk-like shells were greatly prized and widely traded from California to Alaska and far into the interior of the continental U.S.
Dan’s presentation will examine the distribution and characteristics of the dentalium shell fishery on the Northwest Coast. He’ll begin with a brief summary of the ecology of dentalium, then describe the methods and unique tools developed to recover dentalium shells from coastal waters at depths of 3 to 44 meters (9 feet to 144 feet). He will show several replicas of specially designed “brooms” and demonstrate how they were used to recover dentalium shells from deep coastal waters of Washington and British Columbia.
Dan’s presentation will examine the distribution and characteristics of the dentalium shell fishery on the Northwest Coast. He’ll begin with a brief summary of the ecology of dentalium, then describe the methods and unique tools developed to recover dentalium shells from coastal waters at depths of 3 to 44 meters (9 feet to 144 feet). He will show several replicas of specially designed “brooms” and demonstrate how they were used to recover dentalium shells from deep coastal waters of Washington and British Columbia.
Dentalium shells (Hiqua)
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Reconstruction of dentalium broom (illustration by Barton
1994)
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Like salmon, herring runs are in decline along much of the Northwest Coast. So thick were these runs that many coastal tribes employed a novel tool to gather herring. A long, slender wood pole bearing a single row of sharp spines was swept through the water impaling herring during their seasonal runs. Dan will show several herring rake replicas, briefly explaining their construction and use.
Hilary Stewart’s illustration of using herring rakes to fill
canoes (Stewart (Indian Fishing) 1977:77).
Replica of herring rake made by Dan with an example of a
metal herring for scale
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Ed Carriere, Suquamish Elder, herring rake he actually used
to get herring for bait (rubber herring for illustration)
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