Baskets

The generic word for “basket” is telh, which more specifically is the kind of small basket into which berries are initially put when gathering them. A chalhyal is a larger basket of similar construction, suitable for carrying on one's back, into which smaller baskets are emptied. A large basket or wooden tub used for collecting berries may also be called a dudot'es̲. Traditional baskets were and are normally made of birch bark, so it is not necessary to specify this, but if it is desired to contrast birch bark baskets with baskets made of other materials, one can specify it as a k'itelh. A basket woven of spruce roots is a khitelh.

telh is used with the more general meaning of “container” in some compounds denoting containers that are not baskets, e.g. lhuztihtelh “gasoline can”, lartelh “lard tin”, moodat'ihtelh “pitcher”, and tootelh “pail”.

A wide, shallow tray-like basket called a tl'us̲t̲s̲'ai is used to serve food at feasts or, sometimes, to gather berries. In the latter case, it too is emptied into a chalhyal. A birch bark basket used as a dish for serving or eating food is a k'it̲s̲'ai.

In earlier times dishes, made of birch bark or wood, were called t̲s̲'ai. Now that such dishes have been replaced by dishes made from other materials, this word is no longer used except in compounds. Nowadays dishes are called t̲s̲et̲s̲'ai, and plates, specifically, may be called lusyet. Ceremonial dishes are called t̲s̲'ak.

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