3048] GATHERING OF MATERIALS 149 
Commandra pallida and decayed wood, and a green from cedar 
Jeaves and other plants and grasses. None of the colors produced 
by these means was very bright, and the brilliant commercial dyes 
which have now found their way into the region are very much in 
demand. 
GATHERING OF MATERIALS 
The women of the Upper Fraser and Nicola bands gather much of 
their own cedar root, sometimes traveling long distances into the 
mountains to the west, while the rest of their supply is procured 
from the Uta’mqt, in whose country large cedars grow close at 
hand. The people of some localities, for instance those living along 
the Thompson River, where cedar, if it grows at all, is stunted and 
of inferior quality, purchase almost all of their material from the 
Uta’mqt, either paying cash or, what is more often the case, by an 
exchange of commodities. 
Sometimes a woman will buy a sufficient supply to last a year, 
during which period she may complete from 2 to 10 baskets of var- 
ious sizes in her spare hours. A few Uta’mqt women are professionals, 
devoting almost their entire time to producing objects for sale. 
This is especially true of the older women whose children are grown, 
or who live with friends and are relieved of the responsibility of 
food gathering. Among the upper bands basket making is always a 
secondary occupation. 
The best time for collecting roots for splints is in June, although 
they may be gathered at any time if the ground is not frozen. They 
are more easily pulled and split, however, in the early summer 
when the sap is running, while if taken too late the splitting becomes 
difficult and in order to remove the cortex from the roots it is neces- 
sary to scrape them, a far more tedious process than peeling. 
Cedar trees are selected which have long trailing roots of good 
grain. The most desirable ones belong to old large trees because 
of the superior toughness of their fiber and because they are usually 
found inrich soil. Trees growing in poor or rocky ground are liable 
to have gnarled roots which are often too brittle. When a tree has 
been selected, the soil is dug away by picking and scraping with 
digging sticks, or nowadays with modern tools, until the roots are 
exposed. Frequently the men assist in the heaviest part of the 
work. The uncovered roots are then examined as to texture, length, 
and thickness. They are seldom chosen if more than 5 or 7 cm. 
in diameter at the thickest end and from 2 to 5m. in length. If 
found to be suitable, they are dug out and cut off in pieces as long 
as possible, and taken home on the back in bundles containing twenty 
or more. To prevent them from drying out and becoming brittle 
before further treatment can be administered, they are buried in 
damp earth or placed in water. - 
