—_——_———
) COMMENCEMENT ANNUAL

Indian Basketry

The Twelfth Annual Course of Lectures was completed on April 20th by the Rev
Raley, F.R.GS., F.R.S.A., with a lecture on “The itare of Indian Basket eae

The interest was not confined to the lecture alone. Mrs. Dick of the Soowalie Reserve,
had her Coqualeetza Basket-making Class of seven girls demonstrating the different materials
and the varied weaves.

The art of basket-making was traced back to the first small crude berry basket used by
the natives. An example of one was then woven ‘very deftly by Amelia MacMillan from the
Naas_ River. ;

The Rev. Mr. Raley had some very rare and fascinating baskets from his own private
collection. He explained most carefully a wide variety of the symbolic shapes and designs of
the burden and food baskets used in the early days by the different Native ‘Nations of
British Columbia.

Native baskets have been and are becoming increasingly popular with tourists. The girls
would do well to benefit themselves in every way possible from these Saturday morning
basket making classes and from their Principal’s wide knowledge.

Hand-Weaving and Ceramics

A most enjoyable and profitable evening was spent by the Principal, staff and pupils of
the school on Saturday, May the twenty-eighth, when Miss Grace W. Melvin and other
members of the staff of “The Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Art” gave practical
demonstrations of their fascinating work.

The pottery section was in the hands of Miss Melvin who gave verbal explanations of the
manufacture of pottery., while Miss Frances Gatewood showed how to manipulate the plaster
clay so as to make a jar or other article of any shape or size desired. Miss Wilcox illustrated
the decoration of the pottery and explained the making of a plaster mould.

Mr. J. W. G. MacDonald assisted by Miss Dorothy Tisdale, explained in detail the
weaving of hand-made rugs and carpets from the setting up of the warp threads on the loom
to the making of the fringe. To prove the durability of the articles thus made he displayed
a rug, in perfect condition, which had been in his home for some years.

Miss Ruel Wonder, the Secretary, kindly motored the party to Coqualeetza.

All present were ntensely interested and much appreciated the trouble taken and the
courtesy which made such a delightful evening possible.

M. H. PENNINGTON

ltems of Interest

Miss Violet McKay who spent last year at It is interesting to note that the Indian
Coqualeetza is teaching at Cape Mudge. We people of the Pacific Coast may be classed
wonder if she remembers the first morning 26 URKOM demas, De G 12. Deby

at Ocean Park Camp and her experience

making porridge.
Ses at Coqualeetza Residential School and as

, F a result reported to Rev. G. H. Raley, Prin-
Miss Mary Harvey, B.A., on the 7th © cipal, that twenty-six could be classed as

May sailed for Japan, where she is under ;
Saoikimiont as private secretary to the universal donors, the twenty-seventh had

tested the blood of twenty-seven children

English representatve of the League of pronounced oriental blood. If it is con-
Nations. sidered that the Indian people are of ori-
as ental extraction in prehistoric days, how

can it be accounted for that only one out

iss N erite Harvey, former secret- : -
Miss) Marge of of twenty-seven reacted oriental in a blood

ary at the school, since our last issue of

the Annual has married Dr. Carl Downes, test?
Professor of English at the University of a
California. ; =
Miss Ella Gladstone was a welcome visitor
SL at Christmas and Easter. Her brother, Mr.
Miss M. Nicholl left us on the Ist June Percy Gladstone, an ex-pupil, now attending
for Alberta to take a position with Lady Taco GamNOrimall wae! aeeuicstiat Goquae

Rodney. She supervised her Department in
an excellent manner, and we miss her effi-
cient management.

leetza for a week while he taught at Prom-
ontory School.

T birty-three