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The Story of the Coast Salish Knitters

2000 52 min
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For almost a century, the Coast Salish knitters of southern Vancouver Island have produced Cowichan sweaters from handspun wool. These distinctive sweaters are known and loved around the world, but the Indigenous women who make them remain largely invisible. Combining rare archival footage with the voices of three generations of woolworkers, The Story of the Coast Salish Knitters tells the tale of unsung heroines--resourceful women who knit to put food on the table and keep their families alive. Written and directed by Métis filmmaker Christine Welsh, this is a story of courage and cultural transformation--a celebration of the threads that …

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The Story of the Coast Salish Knitters

Details

For almost a century, the Coast Salish knitters of southern Vancouver Island have produced Cowichan sweaters from handspun wool. These distinctive sweaters are known and loved around the world, but the Indigenous women who make them remain largely invisible. Combining rare archival footage with the voices of three generations of woolworkers, The Story of the Coast Salish Knitters tells the tale of unsung heroines--resourceful women who knit to put food on the table and keep their families alive. Written and directed by Métis filmmaker Christine Welsh, this is a story of courage and cultural transformation--a celebration of the threads that connect the past to the future.
  • writer
    Christine Welsh
  • director
    Christine Welsh
  • producer
    Christine Welsh
    Colleen Craig
    Gillian Darling Kovanic
  • executive producer
    Ian Herring
    Graydon McCrea
  • original story concept
    Sylvia Olsen
  • research
    Sylvia Olsen
  • director of photography
    Randy Woolgar
  • editor
    Barton Hewett
  • location sound
    Barton Hewett
  • original music
    Bruce Ruddell
  • traditional music
    Gus Joe
    Mary Ellen Joe
  • music producer
    Paul Brosseau
  • music recording
    Paul Brosseau
  • audio post-production
    Tony Moskal
    Kirby Walker
  • online editor
    Steve Brooks
  • on-line facility
    Star Film & Video Inc.
  • production manager
    Sher Morgan
  • post supervisor
    Sher Morgan
  • production co-ordinator
    Colleen Craig
  • consultant
    Delmar Johnnie
  • archival film research
    Sher Morgan
  • title sequence
    Acumen Art Services
  • photo album sequence
    Judy Somers
  • additional photography
    David Malysheff
  • grip
    Sherry Antonishen
  • gaffer
    Sherry Antonishen
  • stills photography
    Colleen Toohy
    Cathie Ferguson
  • additional stills research
    Krista Pollard
  • production accounting
    Andrea Droege
    Frances O'Donovan
  • transcription
    Lori Isaac
  • associate producer
    Colleen Craig

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Education

Ages 17 to 18
School subjects

Useful for discussions and research projects on economic theory and consumerism. Research the labour and material costs involved in hand-knitting a Cowichan sweater, and then the costs behind a mass-produced sweater sold at a store like Walmart. What factors account for the difference in the prices of these sweaters? In your opinion, which sweater is worth its price, and why? Should local industries be protected and supported against competition from mass-produced alternatives, and why?

The Story of the Coast Salish Knitters
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