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UPDATE 11-11-03
PBS FILM PROJECT - With the Klallam Bands / Canoes / Communities
New Producer called. New plan is... to film just one canoe, on Lake Crescent, as soon as possible (it's getting late!). Attire must be pre-european in style and appearance. Number of people on canoe - 8 to 12 okay. They already taped Parker canoe at Tulalip representing modern times canoe.
Evidentally they have hired Johnny Moses to be the storyteller.
And, I guess we are supposed to arrange for the boat for them to use for the camera crew. They want a flat bottom (flat hull) boat with enough space on deck for a camera platform to attatch.
Please read the following information. Much of it still applies: some to this project, and perhaps even more to projects that we will be filming in the near future. Preparation needs to be done, either way.
-Sue
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9/22/03
PBS Film Project: with the Klallam Bands / Canoes / Communities
In regard to the PBS project, we recently got a call from Alice - the producer of the "Inside Passage" piece, and they want to do the filming of the canoes in the next couple of weeks (late Sept. / early Oct. before the nice weather goes away for good - until spring).
In spite of the delays, it's really going to happen!!
We're getting plenty nervous, and not sure that we (all the people who will be involved in the film) are completely ready for this. So,we are scrambling to be sure and have everything and everyone ready and in place when it's time.
Unless we hear otherwise, we are proceeding as though everyone (all three Klallam Bands) will still be participating. [See update info at top of page.]
PREPARATION DETAILS / CO-ORDINATORS
We really need a person, or persons in each Klallam Community to take the lead in helping manage the details of having things ready for the filming, including the authentic period clothing, and other items that will be used as visuals in the film.
CLOTHING / AUTHENTICITY / TIMING
It is crucial that we have authentic looking clothing attire, and other items ready so when they say it's time to film, we'll be able to just get there and get the filming done. They are bringing in a big shot Hollywood director for the project. (More pressure on us to do a good job!) Visuals and other details -
The pullers on the canoes will be men and boys. (Sorry ladies - girls and women did not pull on the canoes.).
Clothing and other -
The men and boys on the canoes can go shirtless, but need to have some sort of a cedar skirt or animal hide type of cover below the waist (to go over their cut-offs or shorts).
Women and children riding in the canoes can dress in cedar clothing (skirts, capes, etc.), or a combination of cedar clothing and animal skin robes.
We also need some large baskets for taking on the canoes (depicting food and supplies storage for travel). There could also be bundles wrapped in animal hide or cedar mats.
The era or time that we are depicting is pre-european influence times. So of course we need to keep in mind that there was not the woven cotton or linen fabrics, as became known and used in the 1600's and beyond.
IN KEEPING WITH AUTHENTICITY FOR THE TIMES, WE WILL USE ONLY CLOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN WORN BEFORE THE WHITE MAN ARRIVED.
Remember - we want to show that the clothing, although it was not the prissy, fancy-schwancy, frilly-girly junk that the typical Europeans (both men and women) were wearing, still the "native attire" was NOT by any means shabby, unkempt, or "primitive", as is often portrayed. But, in fact, was well crafted and designed clothing that fit the needs of the people for the region and the times.
This is very important for us to show, and make clear.
Another great opportunity to education the ignorant. How we portray the Coastal People, in ancient times, will make a lasting impression on the viewers of this film, so we need to be careful and take pride in the re-enactment of the ancestors and the way of life in those times.
This is a golden opportunity to correct the damage that has been done, and right those wrong messages that have gone out for so many years, and we can do this by the visuals that we present, how we portray the times, and how we conduct ourselves on this project.
BEACH SCENE / VILLAGE SCENE VISUALS
The people on the beach need to wear cedar clothing (or cedar-looking garments, made of rafia perhaps). The elder men could wear hides - bear, deer, mountain sheep etc., or a combination - cedar skirt and bearskin or deerskin robe draped over the shoulder.
We will have a fire going on the beach, and probably some fish, clams, etc. cooking and / or drying by the fire. Some cooking baskets for cooking clams and other foods. Carved wood bowls or large shells with berries, fruit, nuts (seeds), or other foods. We also need cedar mats, reed or beargrass mats for the meal preparation area.
Mid-age and Elder women (over 45?) can be weaving baskets and clothing, and some teaching the children. The teen and younger adult women will be gathering items, preparing the food, etc.. Some of the older girls (10 or 12 and up) will be helping with the little children.
Younger men could be mending cedar net or fish weir, and some carving, talking.
There should be baskets on the beach (for collecting shellfish and seaweed / kelp), and sticks for digging the shellfish.
The bigger baskets would have the cedar woven strap for carrying - as we have seen in the old photo's - over the back, over the shoulder, or across the fore-head.
(Ben showed me some basket hampers in Fred Myers the other day, in three or four different sizes, and thought those would be perfect for this scene needing the bigger baskets. They certainly did look the part. So we may use something like that, since it is hard to find the real ones anymore. He grabbed the lid of one of the hampers and was acting out a scene using it as a shield for battle. It looked good. Not sure what the store security cameras thought of the drama though.)
CHILDREN / BABIES / TODDLERS
Children under the age of two or three can go without clothing if it's warm enough. Otherwise probably wearing a little skirt of cedar (or rafia).
Small babies can be placed in a baby-basket - the Coastal and Salish version of the more commonly used baby-board.
Children up to about age 8 could wear cedar skirt (or rafia), and girls can wear cape and skirt over their shorts and swim suits.
Boys - any age, can wear the cedar (rafia) skirt over their swim suit or shorts, or use a leather-looking wrap around cloth.
Since the "breech-cloth" type garment was not used in the coastal region, that we know of, we will not be using this style of cover.
MATERIALS FOR CLOTHING
The Leather-look - A few months back (with this project in mind) we purchased fabric that looks, and feels, like tanned leather. Some is medium-light color, some is darker and could easily be used alone, or under the cedar (or rafia) skirts, capes, etc. We found it at the little fabric store here in Yelm. Have not seen it anywhere else. They special ordered us two new bolts of it (15 yards in each bolt) for a total cost of $315 - (Ouch!).
Okay... there may be some question as to when the hide tanning process became known and used in North America. But... it seems to have been developed and used to some degree long before the Europeans came, so I think we can be okay in using it for some things. It's doubtful that it was used, in the Coastal regions, for those "Daniel Boone or Davey Crockett" type outfits (as seen on TV). But, I think we can safely use it for some things.
Animal hides and skins - Last year I found some fabric that looks just like bearskin, and another that looks like mountain skeep fleece. I made Ben and Benji some tunic type vests of the sheep-looking "fleece" or "shearling". It looks good. And could easily be "mountain goat".
The Cedar-looking stuff - Linda Weicman (at Elwha) suggested using the cedar-color rafia for making the cedar-looking skirts and capes. She was getting it from a shop in Forks. But I think that Wal-Mart has it too.
SOME NO-NO'S / Things to avoid In general for everyone to remember while filming - Here's some "No-No's":
No make-up. No shoes. No watches, or other modern jewelery. No glasses. No cell phones. No CD players. No soda pop and candy bars, etc. Nothing that looks more recent than about the 1600's can be in the scenes that are filmed.
•• Except PBS producers may film some visuals representin some times and events after the Europeans arrived. In this case we would need to use the button robes and plain cloth skirts and shirts to some extent. But, it is yet to be determined if they still want us to provide those visuals. [See update info at top of page.]
DECORATIONS / JEWELERY
We can be fairly creative (in keeping with the era we depict) and have some necklaces, earrings, etc. appropriate for the times.... Which reminds me.... I found a wonderful shell on the beach that makes a perfect nose-ring (like some of the men, some women, wore in the old-old-times). We can have fun with this, and still keep authenticity!
REGARDING HAIR-DO'S, AND HATS
Any short hair, permed hair, dyed (an odd color) hair, etc. should be covered by a cedar hat if possible. Any resemblance of modern items or appearance is to be avoided.
It may work to use some of the "costume hair", wigs or hair extensions for people who need to create the look of long hair, braids, etc.. These can sometimes be found in Goodwill, Value Village, etc..
WRAP UP
That's about all I can think of at this point. Unless you could suggest someone who we can co-ordinate with about the details such as clothing attire, times of filming, where to meet, meal provisions, transportatoin, and any special needs that are to be addressed, etc..
So, please let us know how you will help. Sue and Ben Charles
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This info also found at - http://community.webtv.net/bensuecharles/KANU/page9.html
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