Cedar Bark Baskets Prior to harvesting spruce roots or cedar bark, the weaver says thank you to the spirit of the tree for the gift it is sharing.Some use a quiet prayer and others a song of thanks. The harvesting is done in the springtime.The tree will be about thirty-six inches in diameter, straight grain, with no lower branches or knots, in an area where the trees are healthy.Red cedar is found at lower elevations and the yellow cedar is found in the higher elevations.Spruce roots are gathered from the trees found in moss-covered areas where little or no plants are found.The harvesting and preparation is long and requires great skill.
The designs are geometric on baskets.Designs represent things in nature such as cockleshells, fish bones, cresting waves, solid bands, salmonberries, snail’s trail, spider web and shaman’s design.
