This\u00a0word gets around. It’s a noun. It’s an adjective.\u00a0It’s even a verb.<\/p>\n
Declare a definition? It\u00a0depends \u2026<\/p>\n
Are we talking fashion, folly, folklore, or maybe a night on the frontier?<\/p>\n
No more joshing. Let’s talk siwashing.<\/p>\n
Siwash, as a noun, can mean four (and probably more) different things:<\/p>\n
1. A heavy knitted sweater, originally created by the Cowichan people of British Columbia, that’s decked out with fish, deer, bears, and other natural decor<\/p>\n
2. A derogatory racial description of a Native American from the Pacific Northwest (derived from the French term “sauvage” and used disparagingly by early traders to denote a “wild savage”)<\/p>\n
3. A brisk Pacific wind that blows up out-of-the-blue<\/p>\n
4. A mythical giant of Chilko Lake in British Columbia who was said to track and haunt those who sinned against the spirit of the land<\/p>\n
Here’s a classic Mary Maxim Anglers Siwash Sweater knitting pattern:<\/p>\n
![\"Mary](\"http:\/\/cdn102.iofferphoto.com\/img\/item\/431\/762\/76\/o_scan0008_1.jpg\" "\\"Mary")
<\/div>\nAs an adjective, siwash means nothing nice (worthless, stingy, and basically bad).<\/p>\n
As in: “I took my car to the shop for a tune-up, and the siwash mechanic robbed me blind!”<\/p>\n
But, rest assured, I’ve saved my favorite definition for last.<\/p>\n
In action, siwash is adventurous and rugged. It’s all about taking to the woods with little more than a pack and a prayer.<\/p>\n
A fellow named W. Douglas Burden described it nicely in his book, Look to the Wilderness<\/em>: “Siwashing is the only way to travel in the hills, but I began to realize that it automatically involves a contest in toughness. ‘Siwash’ is an Alaskan term meaning Indian and ‘siwashing’ is to camp the way the Indians do\u2014with nothing but rifle, fry pan, tea pail, salt, tea, and a little sourdough. Siwashing releases you from the necessity of returning to any fixed campsite. You are free to go where you please, to move as the spirit moves you.”<\/p>\n Look to the Wilderness by W. Douglas Burden<\/p><\/div>\n Out here on the road, traipsing across the countryside in my lovely little trailer, I’m not exactly roughing it, but I love the freedom to move as the spirit moves me, and I hope you feel it too.<\/p>\n Whether you’re backcountry-bound with boots ‘n bravado or getting gussied up for a glamping trip, may the spirit of siwashing unleash your inner wild.\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Swish \u2026 Swash? Wish-wash? Oh, my gosh. The word I’m looking for is: Siwash. Say what? Continue reading ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/picture.jpg\" "\\"picture\\"")