Spedis, Klickitat County, Washington, United States, North America
Accession Date:
23 Aug 1935
Notes:
PROVENIENCE NOTE: SPEDIS WAS THE PRINCIPAL OLD SETTLEMENT OF THE WISHRAM, LYING 9 MILES WEST OF THE TOWN OF WISHRAM, ON THE NORTH BANK OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER ACROSS FROM THE DALLES.
From card: "Made by passing two-ply cords as warp elements through tule reeds at 3 1/2" intervals. Reinforced at sides with twined cotton cord, and at ends with binder twine. Poor condition."
Pamela Cardenas and Shayleen Macy of the Wasco delegation from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs made these comments during the Recovering Voices community Research Visit Aug 31-Sept 4, 2015. Shayleen noted that the cord that is used on the inside and on the end looks like indian hemp. The other cord looks like cotton. Indian hemp is made from dogbane, it is called 'amuxwan' in Kiksht and 'tawxz' in Sahaptin. Pamela informed us that possible uses of the tule mat is as a traditional table setting that foods placed on the mat are blessed, it is used at funerals- the body is placed on the mat and wrapped up to be blessed before the person continues on their spritual journey. Tule mats are also used for housing, to cover mat houses. It is sometimes used to make little objects like dolls and duck decoys for hunting.This particular tule mat is very small, the group couldn't guess why this mat is so small. The Kiksht word for the tule reed mat is 'ilqwadit', as spelled by Pamela. Kiksht is the language of the Wasco tribe.
