Making a Bentwood Box

In this video Coast Salish Snuneymuxw artist Joel Good creates kerfs, then steams and and bends a yellow cedar plank in preparation for creating a bentwood box. He is one of the relatively few bringing back the art of bending boxes.
The Bentwood box is an ingenious technological innovation that was developed and used extensively by the Indigenous peoples of the west coast. In the past it was used as a container to store a multitude of items including everything from everyday items such as food, to ceremonial items of great value. In some areas, including the Coast Salish, bentwood boxes were also used as grave boxes to hold the remains of individuals. The boxes can also be made water tight and used to boil water or steam foods through a process of adding fire-heated rocks.
Today bentwood boxes are still made and in use, though rarely used for everyday cooking or storage. Instead they are often regarded as treasured pieces of art and used for ceremonial purposes.
Music by Ay Lelum
Videography and Editing by Tannis Calder