Songish

The Block

The central focus of the Songhees block is a droplet-shaped knit piece showing an eagle’s head. It was created by Iona Misheal, a gifted knitter and weaver, who learned the craft from the other women in her family. Bald Eagles––many of which winter in Sidney, British Columbia, along the southeast coast of Vancouver Island––have been a part of Iona’s environment for most of her life, so it was only natural for her to combine these two elements. The majestic Bald Eagle, Canada’s largest bird of prey, is a spiritual symbol for many Native people, and it is for Iona, a great source of artistic inspiration.

Cultural Profile

The Songhees Nation, now living around Esquimalt Harbour at the Southern point of Vancouver Island, once had villages dotting the landscape from Albert Head to Cordova Bay. Their name is believed to have come from the Straits Salish word, meaning “people gathered from scattered places.” Songhees society was not organized in a tribal structure, but as extended family groups, speaking the Lekwungen dialect of the Coast Salish language. These self-governing groups shared accommodations in large cedar longhouses. Each group controlled designated areas in which they alone could live, fish, hunt, and gather plants and herbs for medicinal purposes. Living along the shore, their daily fare consisted primarily of salmon, but they also hunted elk, deer and duck.

The cedar tree is sacred to the Songhees and is woven throughout the cultural fabric of their lives. The ancestors used its wood to create shelter, clothing, canoes, paddles and totem poles. Its roots and bark were used to weave baskets and capes. Weaving is a textile tradition of the Coast Salish peoples from whom the Songhees descend. Many Songhees artists have rejuvenated these traditional methods and materials, but more so for artistic, rather than practical purposes.

The Winter Dance Ceremonies are large, secretive gatherings held in “bighouses” that closely resemble traditional longhouses. The ceremony, which is a way to record and pass on the Songhees’ oral history, is steeped in traditional culture, and teaches the timeless values of respect for the elders, and the importance of family. It connects participants to the past and, in the present, promotes a spirit of acceptance and belonging within the community.

Sponsor: Twistle Guild