https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/183702677
Title: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/183702677
As I walked along the Homer Spit, enjoying the unusually still and warm. I saw many clusters of American Dune Grass, and it reminded me of the perseverance we need to survive our own life difficulties. The grass grows from seemingly inhospitable places, much like we must grow from difficult situations in our lives.
This grass is found in sandy coastal regions of North America and Asia, particularly in sand dunes along the Pacific Coast from Alaska to California (“Leymus mollis”).
Native Alaskans used the tough leaves to weave mats, baskets, ropes, and other items, while the thick roots were used as a sponge for washing (“Leymus mollis”). Having experienced how steadfast these little shrubs hold on to their sandy homes, I’m struck by how difficult it would have been to harvest these grasses for weaving. Those “tough leaves” we read about in scientific journals lead to tough roots!
I learned while reading through Alaska Ethnobotony, that in the early 1900s, the baskets made by Native Alaskans became popular in trade. The Yup'ik people of of western, southwestern, and southcentral Alaska began trading baskets as a commodity in the late 19th century, coinciding with what Lee refers to as "the North American Indian basket craze of 1900-1910." The sales of baskets also increased during the gold rush of the 1890s when outsiders started coming in. Despite being isolated, records show that baskets made by the Yup'ik were shipped to Nome and other seaports during the late 1800s and early 1900s (“Alaska Ethnobotony”). We were far from using FedEx during that time, but it demonstrates the usefulness of baskets made from this sturdy grass!
Citations
Leymus mollis: (n.d.). Leymus mollis american dune grass. Seven Oaks Native Nursery. Retrieved September 14, 2023, from https://www.sevenoaksnativenursery.com/native-plants/grasses-rushes-and-sedges/leymus-mollis
Alaska Ethnobotony: "Beachgrass Basket." Alaska Ethnobotony, 14 Sept. 2023, alaskaethnobotany.community.uaf.edu/beachgrass-basket-rachel-liester/. Accessed 14 Sept. 2023.
Comentarios
Hi Sam – Your description of the walking on the dunes almost make me feel like I am there, I can’t wait to visit Homer one day! We do have grass along our beach, but it looks different than what is pictured in your observation. I wonder what type of grass we have? It doesn’t seem sturdy enough for baskets or mats, that’s for sure. Up north on our riverbanks we have a type of grass that looks close to that and is very thick, its not on the coast but maybe similar. It’s funny that you mentioned the baskets being shipped up to Nome during the gold rush. We have some in our museum, or did at one point, and I always wondered where they came from because I’ve never really known grass weaving to be a thing here.
Hello Sam-
I love Homer and I miss walking along the spit. Some of my favorite memories are in Peterson Bay across the water in Homer. I always knew that people used grasses for weaving, but not the history so thank you for enlightening me to the different ways it has been used. I would love to know more about the actual processing of these plants. Do they soak it in water, rough it up with their hands? I have no idea! I love fiber arts/weaving but I have not been able to do it very often.
Thanks for the post!
S
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