Passamaquoddy/Maliseet
  Words for Fancy Baskets
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WIKP  - Ash

PIPUWEYU  - Thin grained

PAHSEYU  -  Thick grained

KAHKEYU  -  It is brittle

WOTOKEYU  - It is flexible

LIKPEHTIHIKE  - He pounds ash (to obtain basket splints)

WOLOKASQ  -  Bark

MONIKPEHLAL  -  He strips splint from Ash.

AMALHIKKIL  - Fancy made baskets

LIKPESAWAKON  - Gauge for cutting ash splints

NEMOTAHKAPITEY  - Gauge used for cutting circular splint (hoop).

LOSKONUWAKONEY  - Gauge used for cutting weavers

LIKCIHIKONEY  - Splint used to hold the bottom in place

LAKOPEHTIKONEY  -Gauge used for cutting binders (to fasten hoop)

TUWIKCIHIKON -  A square board positioned on one’s lap used as an aid in making bottoms.

CIKIKPAHAL - She scrapes and smooths by putting splint against the knife held stationary.

CIKIKPIHIKONEY  - Thick cloth material secured around the thigh and used for protection       

            while scraping.

PIHTUHTAMUT - A device used to obtain thinner splints.

COSSIKON  - A dye.

COSSAWIYE  - She imports ash splints in a mixture of hot water and dye.

SUWITKOLASOL  - Sweet grass.

LATOKONIKON  - Braided grass.

APSATOKONASU  -  It is braided in a fine manner.

KINTOKONASU  - It is braided exceeding the usual manner.

TUWIHTIKON  -  A mold on which a basket is formed or made.

MIHQOTANIS  -  A knife

SIPOMOSAL  -  She tapers it by cutting (splints)

TULUHKAKON  - Work basket

TUWOSSOMUT  - Pitcher basket

TOMOSAL  -  She cuts it off

QINUSQOSAL  - She cuts it to a sharp point

TOPASKULAL  -  She measures it from end to end

TOLEWOLA  -  She arranges the standers in their proper positions (bottom)

WIPONUT  -  The top of a circular or square basket used in measuring the circumference and

                        the extend of the overlap of the cover.

LAHQOSTIKON  - A hoop (thin splint for fancy basket)

TOLAHQOSTIKE  -  She is attaching hoops inside and outside edge of a basket.

AMALHIWOLIYUSINUT  -  Trinket basket

LAKOPEHTIKE  -  She is binding the hoops that encircles the edge of the basket.

LOSKONUWE  - She is weaving the basket.

NAHKAKPENIKE  -  She is depressing the weavers to make the basket more snug.

KOSSEKPENIKE  - She is “bending-in” the extended standers inside the edge of the basket. 

AMALHIHTASIK KPIHIKON  - Fancy cover with sweetgrass

NUTEKPENIKE  -  She is “bending-out” the extended standers outside the edge of a basket.

PISIKPENIKE  - She is securing the “bent-in” standers in between the weavers.

TETPOSIKE  -  She is cutting the “bent-out” standers even with the rim of the basket.

WIWONOSKONUWE  - She weaves a basket in a circular direction.

TOMUWIKHIKE  -  She decorates by weaving sweetgrass or colored splints in a part of the

                                  basket.

KPIHIKON  -  Cover

LAPOCUNHIKON  - Handle

COSSAKON  -Awl

COKIQISHASU  -  A wart-like design on a fancy basket

TUWIHTIKONOL -  Basket molds


With the permission of Alberta Nicholas (kindly arranged by Donald Soctomah) a webpage of many of the Passamaquoddy/Maliseet words that are used to depict fancy baskets and another webpage of the Passamaquoddy/Maliseet words that are used to depict coarse baskets are included in this project.  These words were listed in the Passamaquoddy/Maliseet Reference Book that was produced by the Passamaquoddy/ Maliseeet Bilingual Program under the direction of Joseph A. Nicholas, David A. Francis, and Alberta Nicholas.

Photos of these fancy baskets were taken at the display at the Wabanaki Culture Center in Calais.

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