DCHP-1 Online

digging stick

• a specially shaped implement, usually of yew wood, used by western Indian women for digging up roots and clams, and in primitive agriculture.

  • 1912  (1913)  Perforated pieces of antler, found in the graves, are exactly like the handles of the digging-stick of to-day.
  • 1926  . . . every morning she took her clam digging-stick, and her clam basket, and went down on the beach. . . .
  • 1958  The roots were harvested by the women of the tribe who used a "digging stick." These implements were regarded as special tools and were highly prized by their owners, usually about two feet long with a curved point and handles made from antler often decorated with incised designs.