The settlement of non-natives in this region was one of the first for the Pacific Northwest Coast which brought early cultural disruptions much sooner and faster than most of the coast. This made it so a limited quantity of ancient artifacts of the art form were produced, especially compared to amount that exists about other Northwest Coastal art. The Coast Salish lived in shed-roofed
longhouses, large dwellings made from
cedar planks and beams, with large extended families living within the house. Platforms around on the inside stood 3 or 4 feet above ground against the wall and were used as sleeping areas. Sometimes large beams on the sides of the longhouse called "House Posts" would be carved or painted depicting
ancestors,
family history, or
supernatural beings. Some longhouses grew to enormous sizes such as one
Simon Fraser described in his visit with
Sto:lo people with a house measuring 640
feet long and 60 feet wide or another
Squamish longhouse measuring 200 feet long by 60 feet wide where 11 families lived in the house, numbering around 100 people. Among Coast Salish in the central region, the sxwayxwey (Sx̱wáýx̱way or Skwayskway in other languages)
mask ceremony is an important part of the culture. Men from families who have the hereditary right to be initiated into the sxwayxwey society and wear the mask, and perform dance with the addition of women singers and a special song. The masks themselves have budged out cylindrical eyeballs, "horns" represented by animal heads, and drooping tongues with large feathers creating a dynamic crown. They are accompanied by special
regalia covered with
feathers and
leggings with
hoof rattles attached. Wool from the
mountain goat and
Salish Woolly Dog, now extinct, were used to craft wool woven mats, blankets, clothing, and robes. The wool would be taken from the animals and then mixed with a
diatomaceous earth removing oils and adding a white colour. After wetting, the wool would be twisted between the palm and thigh to create a loose strand, after which was spun. Whorls were placed on the shafts of wood
spindles, and the loose strands of wool were spun. Some of the circular spindle whorls were plain, but others had elaborate designs and beings depicted.
Blankets,
mats, and
robes were woven on
looms which were made up of two upright bars and were attached to two horizontal rollers. Some loom poles were also carved with figures illustrating supernatural characters or family history. Specially designed
combs were used during the process of preparing the wool, and another tool pushed the
weft during
weaving. Although the smaller textiles were often functional, many larger robes served as indicators of wealth. Men carved house posts, grave monuments, masks, and ritual paraphernalia such as rattles; while women crafted woven robes, some plain, some elaborately coloured.
Rattles made from sheets of mountain-goat horn bent and then sewn to form volumetric triangles originally adorned with strands of mountain-goat wool. The art form is used in spindle whorls, house posts, welcome figures, combs, bent wood boxes, canoes, and other cultural objects.
Revival campus, near
Denny Hall. Coast Salish art has undergone a revival in recent years. One person involved in the revival is Squamish artist
Aaron Nelson-Moody. In 2005 he carved a large cedar door to be used at the BC-Canada Pavilion in the 2006 Turin Olympic Game.
Cowichan artist Edward Joe, who has adapted the Coast Salish art form into fine jewelry and prints, says "(Coast) Salish art has as smooth slowing motion intended to create a calm mood. The stories, legends, and myths are depicted in many of my art pieces. Animals from the land, sea, and sky are designed in a playful manner." On October 24, 2008, the
Seattle Art Museum opened "''S'abadeb—The Gifts: Pacific Coast Salish Art and Artists''", a Coast Salish art exhibition from 75 works of art from national and international collections of both traditional and contemporary artists. == Characteristics ==