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Mountain Goat Blanket ^ A Rare Find The house was being demolished. From the basement of the home stored in a trunk long forgotten, emerged a gift, a unique treasure, an enduring tradition. It.was a revered Coast Salish mountain goat blanket. Hidden in the trunk for protection and then long forgotten, this cultural treasure emerged in rare and beautiful condition, bringing with it the stories and oral history of the past. A Rare Treasure According to Coast Salish people, X wux wse_ken, the mountain goat is an animal of extreme power living at the margins of the earth and the sky. They acknowledged that many of their people possessed powerful gifts, but only a rare few were blessed with the strong agility needed to climb our rugged local mountains and successfully hunt the powerful mountain goat. These special men were known as TPelhnayem by the Squamish people. The blankets that their wives wove from the wool of the mountain goats are called swewkw'elh. The women took the goat hair and sometimes combined it with other types of animal hair and local plant fibres during the spinning process to increase the quantity of this precious yarn. The spun wool was then used to adorn rattles, ceremonial regalia, clothes and dolls for treasured children. But, of all these hand-made objects the mountain goat blanket was the most coveted because it took such prowess and skill to create. Consequently, this blanket could not be worn by just anyone. Tradition demanded a special prerogative to wear this gift of earth and sky. Stituyntm / Enduring Traditions Today, this authentic Mountain Goat blanket is on exhibit for the very first time as part of "Stituytm / Enduring Traditions": a partnership between the Squamish Nation and the West Vancouver Museum. This exhibit compliments the Squamish Sculpture of Sna7m Smanit (Spirit of the Mountain), by Squamish artist Xwa lack tun, now installed at Ch'tram (Ambleside Park). Blanket - Squamish Nation, Artist Unknown Photo: URBANPICTURES.COM WHEN: Tuesday - Saturday: Noon to 4:30 pm WHERE: West Vancouver Museum Stituyntm/Enduring Traditions Exhibit 680-17th Street, West Vancouver INFO: T. 604-925-7295 www.wvculturalcapital.blogspot.com ' . Theatre School "To train and prepare children for their future roles in life, whatever those may be." * ^ DANCE SINGING DRAMA" Year Round Programs mid Summer Camps Available BC'S BIGGEST MUSICAL THEATRE SCHOOL EOR CHILDREN info@stagecraft.ca * (604)267.SCTS. (604)762.2491 w w w . s t a g e c r a f t . c a * VANCOUVER, NORTH SHORE, VICTORIA, WHISTLER & KELOWNA www.arts-alive.ca M a y IJ u n e 5