Native Heritage In Each Yarn – An Introduction To Cowichan Knitting

With the cool weather approaching quicker than you might expect, we are getting a jump on the world of sweaters to make sure you, our beloved reader, will be equipped with what you need to be an informed buyer and marveler of the good stuff.

First on our list is the Cowichan Sweater, a style constantly floating around the internet, vintage shops, flea markets, the big screen, and beyond, without as much as a peep about their historical significance. Yes, they are objectively cool, but without the reverence surrounding what they really are and their place in the textile hall of fame of North America, you’re not really able to wear, let alone appreciate one to its fullest potential. Not to mention the over-saturation of images and listings which equate imitations with the real deal and even further, associate their value to their aesthetic value and nothing more.

In short, it’s time for a brief history lesson so the next time you throw one of these on or see one hanging up in a vintage boutique, you’ll do it with a renewed sense of respect and appreciation for where they came from.

A Brief History Of Cowichan Sweater

Native-Heritage-In-Each-Yarn---An-Introduction-To-Cowichan-Knitting Indian Sweater Making by The Charlie Family. 1946. Image I-27571, courtesy of the Royal BC Museum and Archives.

Indian Sweater Making by The Charlie Family. 1946. Image I-27571, courtesy of the Royal BC Museum and Archives.

The origins of the Cowichan knitting can be traced back hundreds of years to the women of the Cowichan, a Coast Salish native people in British Columbia, Canada. After mass-produced trade blankets eclipsed traditional blankets in the 19th century, Cowichan knitters translated what they learned to create sweaters for their families during the cold months – a tradition that continued through the 1910s. Cheryl’s Trading Post, a native-owned business, art vendor, and blog, reflects on this in a blog post:

“During the 19th century, traders brought European mass-produced blankets into Coast Salish territory.  Gradually the cheaper trade blankets began replacing Salish blankets.  Indians began working for Europeans and were paid in blankets.  The most important form of Coast Salish currency could as easily be acquired by common people as by nobility.  The influence of the Chiefs was reduced.  Women formerly held positions of prestige as the producers of wealth.  Not valued in white society, they lost their position in their own society.  During the same period epidemic after epidemic wiped out much of the population.  During the 1850‘s the Hudson’s Bay Co. imported thousands of sheep into southern Vancouver Island, and hired Indians to tend them.” – Chery’

However by the 1920s, as indigenous crafts became popular amongst settlers, the sweater was swept up in consumerism with the fire further stoked by Indian agents and the Canadian government who both pushed the production of these garments as a means of native self-reliance — which was great in theory — but hard to execute due to costs related to production. Even still, the Cowichan Sweater was a popular item until its likeness blew up around the 1950s -1970s when manufacturers began making similar style sweaters by machine at the same time as yarn supply stores creating patterns.

Heritage-In-Each-Yarn---An-Introduction-To-Cowichan-Knitting-Canadian-WWII-Office-Cecil-Merritt-while-imprisoned-in-Nazi-POW-camp-wearing-a-Cowichan-pullover.-Image-via-Ouno-Design

Canadian WWII Office Cecil Merritt while imprisoned in Nazi POW camp wearing a Cowichan pullover. Image via Ouno Design

Okay, But What Are Cowichan Sweaters?

Native-Heritage-In-Each-Yarn---An-Introduction-To-Cowichan-Knitting-A-Pullover-Cowichan-Knit-Sweater-via-Cheryl's-Trading-Post

A Pullover Cowichan Knit Sweater via Cheryl’s Trading Post

Although the term”Cowichan Sweater” is thrown around a bunch, it’s important to understand what a Cowichan Sweater actually is and what it isn’t.

First and foremost, true Cowichan sweaters are made by Cowichans, and no one else. To protect their heritage, they have even gone as far as registered trademarks for the words “Cowichan”, “Genuine Cowichan”, and “Genuine Cowichan Approved” to represent sweaters and items that have been made by members of the Coast Salish Nation using the right materials, in accordance with traditional tribe practices.

Heritage-In-Each-Yarn---An-Introduction-To-Cowichan-Knitting-Handmade-Cowichan-sweater-by-Cowichan-artist-Dora-Wilson.-Image-Via-The-Canadian-Encyclopedia

Handmade Cowichan sweater by Cowichan artist Dora Wilson. Image Via The Canadian Encyclopedia

With earlier models being mostly pullovers, more modern examples use button or zipper closures and usually feature a shawl collar. In contrast to the novel and at times offensive imitation sweaters that have seeped into modern fashion, true Cowichan sweaters are known for a balance of geometric and non-geometric patterns such as animals with the geometry taking up the waist and shoulders and the figure present at the chest, arms, and back. Iconic animal-based designs include the thunderbird, whale, and fish.

Made using bulky, home-spun wool historically made from mountain goat, dog hair, and unprocessed later sheep wool. They’re thick and scratchy, a clear indicator that this warm, wearable armor was created for function rather than fashion, and the unprocessed wool actually retains the water-resistant properties that serve sheep so well. Often made with between 2-3 naturally occurring wool colors in their designs, these tubular, round knit (knit in one piece) sweaters are just as much familial signatures and heirlooms as wearable artifacts, with different knitting families passing down the skills to make them throughout the generations.

Heritage-In-Each-Yarn---An-Introduction-To-Cowichan-Knitting-Handmade-Cowichan-sweater-by-Cowichan-artist-Amelia-Charlie.-Image-via-Ouno-Design

Handmade Cowichan sweater by Cowichan artist Amelia Charlie. Image via Ouno Design

The Cowichan Sweater Situation Today

As with other closely guarded, deeply significant cultural touchstones, there are some within the Cowichan community that are against its mass popularity because of its vulnerability to being misrepresented and appropriated. And rightfully so –  considering that’s sort of what happened with mid-century and later imitations sort of diluting or confusing the identity of these sweaters. There are others though who —without disagreeing with the first group being represented — see the macro significance as a net positive. For instance, imitations and copies help to keep the sweater in the larger conversation of knitwear and as long as educational resources and reverence surround its history, this will hopefully lead back to authentic examples. As you can imagine, with both points of view being valid, we can’t tell you how to tow the line. All we can say is that it’s up to the consumer and fashion lover within us all to distinguish between authentic and inauthentic. Please sweater responsibly.

For a  fantastic paper on the appropriation of Cowichan Knitting, check out Knitting for our Lives: The Appropriation of Cowichan Sweaters by the Hudson’s Bay During the 2010 Vancouver Olympics (PDF), by Regan Shrumm.

Where can you buy Cowichan Sweaters Today?

So now you’re equipped with all this real deal Cowichan Sweater information and you want to put it to use while supporting the native community as they keep their craft alive, especially in the sea of imitations out there. Well, don’t go and say Heddels never did nothin’ for you, because we rounded up a list of some authentic Cowichan Sweater makers to keep you from freezing your butt off this fall/winter.

Cheryl’s Trading Post

Heritage-In-Each-Yarn---An-Introduction-To-Cowichan-Knitting-Modern-authentic-Cowichan-sweater.-Image-via-Cheryl's-Trading-Post

Cowichan Bear Sweater, available for $495CAD ($373USD) from Cheryl’s Trading Post

Cheryl’s Trading Post is an independent Native family-owned, operated, and staffed business selling authentic handmade Native art. It focuses primarily on local Northwest Coast Native Art but also supplies products from across Canada and the United States, as well as Mexico, and Central and South America.

Cheryl Gregory is a Gitxsan woman born on the Skeena River. She grew up living a traditional lifestyle of hunting, fishing, and gathering on her traditional territory.

Jenny’s Cowichans

Native-Heritage-In-Each-Yarn---An-Introduction-To-Cowichan-Knitting-Authentic-Cowichan-Knits-are-available-to-order-from-Jenny's-Cowichan-Knits-starting-at-$380CAD-($290USD)

Authentic Cowichan Knits are available to order from Jenny’s Cowichan Knits starting at $380CAD ($290USD)

Jennifer George runs ‘Jenny’s Cowichan Knits’, producing archetypal and authentic Cowichan knit goods from sweaters to socks and scarves.

“Today, creating a sweater is less time-consuming because the stores have machines that do the washing, teasing, and carding of the wool. But I still prefer to spin the wool myself. It has been a long time since the old wash bucket, but I continue to knit today using designs passed down from my mother as well as creating my own knitting patterns, which I now teach to my daughter.” – Jennifer George

Face of Native

Native-Heritage-In-Each-Yarn---An-Introduction-To-Cowichan-Knitting-A-custom-Cowichan-Sweater-made-by-Face-of-Native

A custom Cowichan Sweater made by Face of Native

Face of Native has been supplying authentic Cowichan knit products since 2013 and can be reached via Facebook and Instagram.

Cowichan Tribes

Native-Heritage-In-Each-Yarn---An-Introduction-To-Cowichan-Knitting-website

More makers can be found in the Cowichan Tribes’ Arts & Crafts Directory. One Reddit user cited Elder Dora Wilson as a fantastic producer – her details can be found on the directory as well as many others.