Cattail Baskets

There are three species of cattails in the family Typhaceae growing in North America. Of these three species, only Typha latifolia L., or the broad-leaved cattail, is found in Alaska. Worldwide, cattails are an important resource in almost all of the communities where they grow, and there is an astonishing amount of information about the plant in the literature. I found citations of people eating all parts of the plants, from making flour out of the yellow pollen or ground roots, to eating the fresh sprouts in the spring. I also found records of people making things from all parts of the plants, from insulation for the walls of winter houses made of leaves, to using the pollen “fluff” as tinder, and the ashes for tattooing. For this project, I am limiting my focus to the use of cattails in making baskets. Turner and Bell state, “This was probably the most important basket and mat weaving material of the Island Salish. For basket-weaving, the leaves were split and spun on the bare thigh. Camas bulbs and crabapples were commonly stored in the bags made of cattail leaves” (Turner and Bell, 1971, p. 71). Not only are baskets functional, but they have value in beauty and ceremony too, often given as gifts.

Although cattail use in Alaska is listed in numerous resources, mainly in mat-making, I did not find any Alaska Native names for cattails. Before moving on to the distribution information, I wanted to share a myth I found of cattails being responsible for the creation and distribution of people. There are many such myths, and I like stories that explain the importance of relationship. According to a Washoe legend, “Cattail seeds were turned into people; some became Miwok, others became Paiute, and still others became Washoe. These myths instruct humans that plants and people are from the same source and are related” (Anderson, 2005, p. 249).

T latifolia is a cosmopolitan species, with its native range encompassing large regions on all continents, except Antarctica, Africa and Oceania, and it grows in a wide variety of wetland habitats. Niches include marshes, wet meadows, lakeshores, roadside ditches, seacoast estuaries, pond margins, bogs or fens as well as rice paddies.

Processing Material – PRE-HARVEST

“Traditional relationships with plants include asking permission to harvest and being grateful for the opportunity to gather and tend plants in the area” (Stevens, 2004, p. 8). “For example, John Ross (2011, 248) describes a special ceremony preceding the actual cutting and gathering of cattail and tule by Spokan women: “this ritual was led by an elderly woman who was recognized as being the most knowledgeable of such harvest, and, prior to cutting and gathering, she would give an oration of gratitude for the resources as well as recognize the presence of all the women in attendance” (Turner, 2014, p. 333). For as long as I have been gathering plants for food or materials, I have engaged in varied rituals to express respect for the land, ask permission to gather, and honor the people and plants who/that have taught me the skills to identify plants correctly, to harvest sustainably, and to prepare with joy – to appreciate my connection.

Though the leaves are cut in the same place, they are not all cut at the same time, or season, of the year. Overwhelmingly, weavers cut the leaves during the summer while they are still green. However, one source stated, “Both tule and cattail were considered better if harvested in fall, after a “killing frost”, which caused them to turn a dark, mottled brown colour, rather than being used green” (Turner, 2014, p. 346). Another source mentions, “…and those found near the saltwater were felt to be the strongest” (Thompson and Marr, 1983, p. 22). With that in mind, I harvested one summer green bundle, and one fall brown bundle, both from saltwater, and left them to dry for several weeks in a cool, dry location.

Weaving Cattail Mats

Coast Salish women sewed cattail leaves together to form large mats that were used as room dividers, insulation, kneeling pads in canoes, sleeping mats, and temporary shelters. The leaves are laid out in parallel rows, and two tools, a mat creaser and a mat needle were used to pierce the leaves and pull a cattail thread through the hole to bind together the leaves. The mat creaser is pressed along the long needle when it is in the leaves, to form a crease that serves to hold the thread in place. The edges are braided.

Photo: Harlan Smith, courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History, neg. no. 12134.Photo: Harlan Smith, courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History, neg. no. 12134.

Coast Salish woman sewing a cattail mat at Sand Spit, Camano Island near Stanwood, WA.

Photo: Burke MuseumPhoto: Burke Museum

Snohomish cattail mat, Tulalip Reservation, collected by Erna Gunther, 1930, Burke Museum cat. no. 1-10827.

Photo: Burke MuseumPhoto: Burke Museum

Sooke cattail mat section with mat needle inserted, Burke Museum cat. no. 1-2077.

Photo: Burke MuseumPhoto: Burke Museum

Saanich mat creaser, Burke Museum cat. no. 1-10627.

Cattail Weaving

A common sight along the edges of ponds and marshes, cattail is a tall, reedy plant that plays an important role in wetland ecology and has special value to NW Native people as a weaving material. More info.

Tradition keeper, artist, and cultural anthropologist with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Brigette McConville will lead students through traditional techniques for constructing a Cattail basket, drawing on the gathering and weaving traditions of the Warm Springs, Wasco & Northern Paiute peoples. Within these cultures, cattail baskets have been used as functional vessels for storage and gathering, and for ceremonial and decorative purposes such as the presentation of gifts or occasionally, as the gift itself.

In this one-day workshop, students will cut, measure, soak and prepare cattail leaves for use in weaving, and create a small round cattail basket using twining techniques. Brigette will guide students through the process from start to finishing the basket rim. A selection of dyed cattail and raffia will be provided for incorporating color, pattern and variety into the Cattail baskets.

No previous experience necessary. This workshop is open to anyone 18 years old & over who meet the Essential Eligibility Criteria for Studio Workshops. All participants must accept the inherent risks of participating in a Studio Workshop and agree to sign a liability waiver. This waiver describes in more detail the risks you assume by participating in a Studio Workshop. PLEASE carefully review it!

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The following classes may interest you as well:

• Wasco Weaving: Sally Bag (05.04)
• Columbia Plateau Beading (April)
• (May) Pack Basket Weaving
• Weaving with Nature: Basketry Intensive (4-Week)
• (May) Weaving in Miniature: Waxed Linen Baskets