This photo from the 1970s shows Eva May Nahanee with examples of her basketry work and bundles of raw cedar roots.
Traditionally, all local Indigenous women were taught to make baskets from a very early age.
Basketry and weaving were originally used to create storage containers and ceremonial objects and to transport items.
In the 20th century, these skills were used instead to make baskets and items for sale and trade.
Eva Nahanee represents a more recent generation of basket weavers. Raised by her Stó:lō grandmother, Eva learned many traditional values, including weaving baskets with cedar roots and bark.
She carried on the weaving skills she learned as a young woman and taught her children as well. Nahanee is shown here with samples of old baskets she emulated, as well as some of her own work.
For more information about the history of the North Shore and to learn about the new Museum of North Vancouver opening in late-2020, visit nvma.ca and sign up for the museum’s e-newsletter at bit.ly/35MWr83.
Currently, the Archives of North Vancouver at 3203 Institute Rd. in Lynn Valley is open by appointment only. Contact: archives@dnv.org.
