Journal article
Chiton II: The Undervalued Chiton as a Shellfish Resource on the Northwest Coast of North America
Journal of Northwest anthropology, Vol.59(2), pp.250-261
Autumn 2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000007705
Abstract
In the Spring of 2015, I wrote my first article on the cultural use of chiton mollusks. I explored their sometimes-substantial infra-structural contribution to the shellfish diet as found in archaeological shell middens on the Northern and Central Pacific Northwest Coast (Figure 2, left map). Some recent research reflects high chiton-use data from the South- ern Northwest Coast, along the Oregon coast, with similar patterns emerging (Figure 2, right map). I begin this new research article (Chiton II) summarizing the Chiton I piece and then briefly explore the preliminary research on the Southern Northwest Coast. Also, I elaborate further on ethnographic research on the critical importance of chiton in a book, Entering Time, covering the Haida Creation of Humans story. This small book explores Haida Master Artist Charles Edenshaw’s argillite platters depicting culture hero/trickster Raven hunting supernatural chitons (Chiton/Vulvas) in order to establish and perpetuate humans through the capturing of female Tsaw, the Haida word for female reproductive organs (Browne 2016). Therefore, on a very super-structural level, we continue to see chitons playing a key role in the actual existence of people and their ability to continue themselves and their cultural developments in this world (see one of his argillite platters, Figure 3, below).
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Details
- Title
- Chiton II: The Undervalued Chiton as a Shellfish Resource on the Northwest Coast of North America
- Creators
- Dale R. Croes (Author) - Washington State University, Department of Anthropology
- Publication Details
- Journal of Northwest anthropology, Vol.59(2), pp.250-261
- Academic Unit
- Department of Anthropology
- Identifiers
- 99901309718101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article