Salish Cradleboard

Cradleboards made by the Salish people were generally made of cedar, larch or cottonwood, and buckskin. Beads were used as adornments when available. The cradleboards were made on large, flat, oval-shaped boards that were wider toward the upper end of the piece. The board was covered with skin in such a way that it bloused out in the front to form a sack to hold the baby, while the rest of the skin. fitted smoothly over the baseboard. The top of the board was usually decorated with massive floral designs developed from the environment or from personal preference in applique bead-work. On some Salish cradleboards, long beaded bibs or cloth panels covered the entire front. When a Flathead woman became pregnant, a sister, aunt or grandmother would make a cradleboard to be gifted to the baby alter its birth. When the child grew older and no longer used the cradle it was hung on a bush or tree, along with its swaddling clothes, for it was not considered good luck or "lucky" to use the same cradle twice, or for two children.
The traditional range and present reservation of the Salish is in the area surrounding Flathead Lake in western Montana. Historically the Salish referred to as “Flathead” by outsiders, which was derived from their location. The tribal members did not practice head shaping. Cradle in Salish language: im-hol-aih which literally translates as "baby cradle" or "baby keeper" or "baby tender that is supported by wood."