Ann Smith and I taught our second weaving class together in Chilkat and Ravenstail weaving during the week-long Adaka Festival in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Lily Hope assisted for four days (her first time being away from her family!).
Ann Smith and I were two of Cheryl Samuel’s first students to learn Ravenstail back in 1989. Since then Ann has woven approximately 5 Ravenstail robes and numerous smaller weavings and has taught classes in Yukon and British Columbia. Ann was one of my first students in Chilkat weaving back in 1991; in fact, she inspired me to weave robes instead of weaving contemporary pieces of regalia. Only recently have I decided to incorporate weaving smaller items in my time line!
Most of the techniques and spiritual information I teach are directly from my apprenticeship with the last of the traditional master weavers, Jennie Thlunaut from Klukwan, Alaska who passed away in July 1986 two months after she taught me. All students who learn from me are a direct lineage of Jennie’s legacy, the most prolific Chilkat weaver of all time with 50 robes and 8 tunics.
Lily Hope has been weaving Ravenstail for nearly 10 years. She started weaving Chilkat weaving 4 years ago when she was an assistant teacher during one of my classes in Juneau; little did anyone know that as she was “student teaching” she was for the first time learning how to weave Chilkat!!!
I am totally impressed with the commitment and dedication of the Yukon weavers. It is quite an honor for us to teach weavers who are eager to learn and eager to create more dance regalia for their family, friends and community members. This experience has been an instructor’s dream. And I know it was Jennie’s dream come true as well. She was the last traditional weaver; imagine how she must have felt! Imagine what she would feel if she were to see the number of wanna-be-weavers that have come out of the woodwork to dedicate themselves to a life-long learning process! I know only a small fraction of what she would feel; it has brought me to my knees with gratitude and compassion to be a part of Jennie’s legacy – to be a part of the traditional Chilkat weavers’ legacy and to be a part of this present-day legacy of this younger generation who will carry this forward. Can I have an Amen!? Can I have a Hoo-haa!
Thank you to Charlene Alexander, Executive Director of the Adaka Festival (in it’s 4th year), who coordinated another year of this amazing event and once again has invited us to teach weaving! Thank you to all the weavers who came out to learn more about our traditional weaving styles; Gunalcheesh!