The Cowichan Coast Salish Textile Traditions of British Columbia, Canada: The Etymology of the “Cowichan Sweater”, the Reason Black Sheep are Rare, the Reason Black Wool is Desirable, the Wool Shades of Black Sheep, the Reason Cowichan Sweater Makers Wash the Wool Prior to Production, the Process of Traditional Wool Production, the Purpose of Carding Wool, the Wool Resources Coast Salish Weavers Used Prior to Sheep, the Length of Time Required to Create a Cowichan Sweater and the Traditional Currency of the Coast Salish Ethnolinguistic Group, the Traditional View of Cowichan Blankets, the Canadian Landscape Shifting After the Arrival of Europeans, European Exploitation of Coast Salish Territory for Economic Gain, the Work Europeans Provided for the Coast Salish Ethnolinguistic Group, the Usage of Cowichan Blankets During the Modern Day, Europeans Teaching the Cowichan Ethnolinguistic Group How to Knit, the Introduction of Sheep Into Canada, the Concept of the “Indian Head Spinner/Spinning Wheel”, the Geometric and Biological Patterns of Cowichan Sweaters, the Decline of Traditionally Manufactured Cowichan Sweater Production During the 1990’s, the Economic Cost of an Authentic Cowichan Sweater vs the Economic Cost of Replica Cowichan Sweaters, the Hallmark Feature of a Traditional Cowichan Sweater, the Cowichan Sweater Economy During the Modern Day, and the Difference Between Male and Female Cowichan Blankets

Cowichan sweaters take their name from the Cowichan First Nation tribe in Duncan, Canada and are knit primarily by Coast Salish women all over southern Vancouver Island, Canada. Black sheep are extremely rare as being a black sheep means inheriting 2 recessive traits. Because of this, black wool is highly prized. The wool from black sheep can range from black to grey, providing the many different shades used in traditional Cowichan designs. Traditional Cowichan sweater makers wash wool as this e...


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