Aug 6, 2013 | Class Act, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
The four of us took over the crew members’ table in the cafeteria of the MV Malespina; it was the only table long enough to fit all of us!
Carver Allie High looks over the shoulder of Jackie Johnson Pata watching Crystal Rogers weave. Jackie is also a Chilkat weaver and Allie says she ought to take up weaving since there seems to be such comraderie amongst the weavers and she feels left out! (Hmmm…I think she has good point there!)
Weaver Marsha Hotch sews on a pair of moccasins while Jackie Johnson Pata visits
Weaver Ricky Tagaban spins his warp; he is preparing to start weaving his first Chilkat robe too.
Clarissa weaves on her child-size Chilkat robe (notice the Alano Edzerza hand-silkscreened cotton knit tunic she is wearing).
Teahonna James is shaping her second Chilkat circle!
The crew member’s table in the cafeteria is truly the perfect spot on the entire ship; good views, good lighting, good company and half way decent food just a step away – what could we have asked for!?
The end of our weaving tour was in sight. We all parted a couple of days after we reached Juneau; we all went our separate ways until we meet again! Maybe in a month, maybe next Summer…we’ll see what happens – but whatever happens, I will make sure I keep you posted!
Aug 5, 2013 | Class Act, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Teey Woodi’ – Cedar Bark
While demonstrating at the Sheldon Museum in Haines, Alaska, we of course had to look at the exhibit around us. We were surprised to see a display of materials and supplies used in Chilkat weaving on display with the words in Tlingit! Here are the examples they had on display and I am happy to be able to share these; thank you to the folks who had the idea to do this type of display! Gunal’cheesh!
Below the cases of Chilkat blankets on the wall in the background there are cases that house the examples of the product with the Tlingit and English weaving item.
Kasek’Xu – Dye
Kakein – Yarn
Sankeit – Chilkat apron
X’usKeit – Leggings —– Good’as’ – Chilkat Dance Shirt
Naaxein Kadoosne’ — Chilkat Weaving
Aug 4, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Class Act, Honoring Others, North Tide, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Flanked by Crystal and Clarissa’s Chilkat weaving looms, Teahonna James weaves on her Chilkat headdress in the upstairs room of the Sheldon Museum in Haines, Alaska
The Sheldon Museum, though small and cozy in comparison to many museums about the country, has quite the collection and display on Chilkat weaving. In fact, for the first time ever, the weaving exhibit included Tlingit language weaving terms! I have posted them on a separate blog entry; click here to the link.
Teahonna quietly weaves in the room surrounded by “artifacts” – yet to us, they are “relatives” – they are “related” to us in some form or another, whether it be a tool used by our ancestors, or a map carried by a visitor, or a robe woven by our teacher – there is relativity to us
For several years, I thought it a good thing to learn to speak the weaving terms in our Tlingit language. I wished I had asked Jennie to teach me the weaving terms but I was too young to even know what to ask. I watched a documentary on a dugout canoe carved on an island in Lake LaBarge in the Whitehorse area; at one point during the completion ceremony of the canoe, Lance Twitchell a young speaker of Tlingit who taught himself the language not even 10 years ago, who is now an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Southeast, spoke so eloquently in our Native tongue that even though I didn’t know what he was saying, hearing the language in that moment immediately brought tears to my eyes – he spoke as if he were an elder who has returned to us only to find remnants of a language almost obliterated and he alone with a couple of others are working hard to bring it back. Lance looked as if he carried this “weight” upon his shoulders. In that moment, I told myself that when I return to Haines and live there, I will learn my language, and I will begin with the weaving terms so that I may teach it to my students.
Do all Chilkat weavers have long hair? Many do. Clarissa and Crystal have kept their long hair – a trademark of many Tlingit women before the Westerners arrival.
The two Chilkat robes in the background were woven by the last of the traditional Chilkat weavers, the late Jennie Thlunaut; and to the left of the robes, the Ravenstail robe was woven by Lani Strong Hotch from Klukwan
In the left behind Crystal and Clarissa, the small child-size Chilkat robe was woven by Jennie Thlunaut – come to think of it, this may have been her very last Chilkat robe before she passed in July 1986
Because of such beautiful, warm weather, we agreed to demonstrate weaving nearby the totem pole carvers on the last day outside the front entrance to the Sheldon Museum
Nathan Jackson (r) visits Jim Heaton, the master carver of this particular pole (who isn’t pictured but standing to the left), and sculpture artist Matthew Hincman – in the background are singer/composer William Wasden from Alert Bay, B.C. and leader/singer/drummer of the Dahka Kwaan Dancers from Whitehorse, Y.T., Marilyn Jensen
Except for the Swiss-made chisel, these are hand-made carver’s tools
Teahonna spinning warp – She is trying to meet her goal of 300 yards of Chilkat warp so she too can begin weaving a child-size Chilkat robe.
L to R: William Wasden, Marilyn Jensen, William’s nephew Mark, Clarissa Rizal, Crystal Rogers, Matthew Hincman, Megan Jensen,Jim Heaton, Jim’s carving apprentice Joe (?), Nathan Jackson, and Jim Simard
On the last day of our demonstration, there suddenly was a congregation of familiar visitors and friends who “happened to be in town” – at our request, William Wasden sang a couple of compositions in honor of weaving and in honor of the carvers, especially in honor of local master carver, Nathan Jackson.
After a wonderful last day, we wished we had been demonstrating our weaving outside the other two previous days; we wondered how many other folks we would have reached had we been more exposed.
We wove outside way past the Museum’s closing hours until the sun went behind Mt. Ripinsky
Chilkat weaving has become a way of life. I see how it has shaped my world views, my connections to people, places and things; it has even made me philosophize more so than ever! haha! I see all the relativity of things via Chilkat. It is something that I want to share with our people. As with all of us, our time here is limited. I am a busy woman, constantly. I am one of a few who makes the time and energy to teach our women. I want to help bring up the standard of internal living within the minds and hearts of our women. I have experienced the gift it has brought me and how it has changed me internally. Chilkat weaving provides an internal strength I had no idea existed. I want our women to experience this internal strength. When we strengthen our women, we strengthen the bond of our relationships. If during her status as a Chilkat weaver that her relationship with her partner goes awry, possibly the integrity of her partner did not match with the strength of Chilkat weaving. When we strengthen the woman, it is like a rippling effect; the power moves out like a water dropping into the ocean…the weaving strengthens the relationship which in turns strengthen the family unit which in turns strengthens the community, which then strengthens the nation…and the world!
Thank you to my apprentices, Crystal Rogers, Teahonna James, Vanessa Morgan, and the new “groupie” Stefanie Sidney, for coming along for the “ride” – it’s been quite the experience and treat! Let’s do this again! Truly, what would a teacher be without her students?
Jul 29, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Class Act, North Tide, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
The “weavers’ cabin” during “Kus Te Yea” Celebration 2013 in Teslin, Yukon Territory
I had told the weavers about the Kus Te Yea Celebration 2013 in Teslin. This biennial event is held in the odd-numbered years from “Celebration” sponsored by the Sealaska Heritage Institute held in Juneau, Alaska in the even-numbered years. This is 2013; the odd year we’ve been waiting for; time to head to Teslin!
We knew that we wanted to attend the event, we just didn’t know where we were going to stay since none of us brought complete camping equipment, although we were ready to get additional equipment and camp out if we had to just like everyone else! However, a week before Celebration 2013, we were invited to come out and demonstrate; – they had a space all ready for us as if they were expecting us to come! We checked out of our comfy apartment in Whitehorse closing up that part of our Weavers’ Tour (click here if you missed the Whitehorse story) and were up for another adventure!
Looking through the screen windows at a lovely weaving scene!
The cabin designated for the weavers to demonstrate is an uninsulated wooden shell with screened windows without glass. We removed the wooden shutters for added light, air, view and ambiance! There are “skylights” and all of us just jumped with joy – what a perfect place to weave! And all our very own for three whole days!? Wow! Thank you Kus Te Yea organizers for our very own space!
Jackie Kookesh and Ricky Tagaban share spinning techniques while Teahonna James sets up her table-top weaving loom
Immediately the very first day just as we were setting up, Ricky Tagaban and Jackie Kookesh surprised us – we didn’t know they were coming! Also others from a couple of years ago returned: Dan Shorty and Tatiana (?), and two others whose names have slipped me. Pretty soon we had four people spinning and four people weaving. Fun!
Vanessa Morgan explains to her audience how she first got involved in Chilkat weaving and the design story of her child-size Chilkat robe
Crowds of visitors, far and near, visited us. One of the most rewarding things about demonstrating Chilkat weaving is to provide the visual, tactile information about the amount of work involved in just preparing the materials BEFORE you begin to weave. Demonstrating educates the general public (and even our own people) about the spinning process as well as the actual weaving. I am delighted when visitors are amazed at how we spin the warp on our thigh. No matter what age, they are always shocked. So much fun.
Crystal Rogers listens to Chief Dan (from Carcross, Y.T.) tell a story pertaining to weaving in his family
Also, it is an educational experience for us as various individuals who come to see what we are doing; more often than not they have a story to tell in regards to a relative or friend who was (or currently is or wants to be) a weaver. Or they tell us a story regarding an old robe and how it was sold, or how it disappeared or how much it cost when it sold. We hear many, many stories from our audience. Storytelling is a big aspect of weaving. We discover that when we demonstrate the art of weaving, we also learn to listen to the stories involved with weaving – our active listening skills are improved. In so doing, we are learning while we teach and demonstrate. The act of listening to our visitor’s stories is a large part of our “oral history.”
Clarissa’s child-size Chilkat robe now has eyes – to be able to see out into her world…as she now is able to “see” into her child-size robe. Although Clarissa has designed her robe, as she weaves along, she understands that the design of the robe is subject to change – during the course of a woven garment, things are felt, heard and “seen”, and sometimes it changes the course of history, and subsequently the design…
There is nothing quite like watching a weaving take its course. The texture of the weave does depend on the weaver’s skill, however, there are always other factors like the fineness of the warp (the yarns that hang down), as well as your particular mood that moment, that hour, that day.
Packed up, doing last-minute clean-up, and Celebration is over; and while it is true that the Teslin Celebration organizers invited us to come demonstrate Chilkat and Ravenstail weaving at this sweet cabin where great memories and connections were laid, already we lay claim to weave, spin and teach during the next Celebration 2015!–look out, we are returning!
Weaving also creates a certain kind of tension whether it be within us or without us – tension is an aspect of weaving; there are at least two,…tactile tension and psychological tension. Tension keeps us on our toes, it helps build up and it can also help let down. Living in close proximity with other weavers always causes a bit of tension; it’s natural. We learn to adjust to the various personality traits. We learn to tolerate. We learn to support. We learn to take care of one another and watch out for one another. We learn respect. We are always learning as we weave our webs.
Jul 4, 2013 | Class Act, North Tide, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Yukon and Alaskan Weavers in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory – June 2013 – on the Yukon River — L to R front row: Stefanie Sidney, Crystal Rogers, Nita Clark, Clarissa Rizal, Charlene Baker, Sherri Atlin, Ann Smith — L to R 2nd row: Heather Callahan, Cherish Clarke, Ricky Tagaban, Pamela Adamson, Teahonna James, Diane Knopp
In the Yukon a dedicated group of people is working to preserve an ancient cultural tradition. To teach the art of Chilkat and Ravenstail weaving the past is becoming alive again and becoming a force that is weaving itself into dance, song and other cultural aspects of the people of our Northwest coast Alaska, B-C and the Yukon.
Enjoy the interview with Clarissa and visit the new robes of today….
http://www.cbc.ca/north/features/weaving-and-words/
First day of weaving class in the Elder’s Room of the Kwaanlin Dun Cultural Center on the banks of the Yukon River, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
Over 20 years ago, after a gathering of Chilkat weavers, Ann Smith said she wanted to host a Gathering in her hometown of Whitehorse, Yukon — Finally, after attending Weavers’ Gatherings in Prince Rupert, Alert Bay, Sitka, Juneau, Hoonah, and Haines, with the assistance of Charlene Alexander, festival coordinator for the Adaka Festival, we made this happen in Whitehorse!
Ann demonstrates to Teahonna one of several methods on how to measure your warp for your project
Ann and I had a total of 12 new students; she taught 6 weavers interested in Ravenstail weaving and I taught 6 weavers interested in Chikat weaving.
The white board listing all the weavers in the class…
While Ricky continues to spin warp, Ann demonstrates to Georgianna and Heather how to warp the loom
Clarissa explains to Georgianna the importance of perfection in the first row of weaving, the anchor row.
Crystal assists Pamela on her fingering technique
It’s a wonderful thing when an experienced apprentice helps her fellow beginner student learn the basics of weaving.
Ricky weaves below the full moon window designed by Kwaanlin Dun artist, Justin Smith
The Elder’s Room has great ambiance for a weaving class – perfect in size of room with very good natural lighting, the glass walls dividing us from the cultural center’s hallway that provided us privacy yet the general public could watch what we were doing, AND it was the only room in the cultural center that had perfect air-conditioning during hot, muggy sunshine!
Ann demonstrates to Pamela while Diane looks on
Nita is happy that the fingering is coming so naturally for her!
12-year-old Amber Baker re-visits the weaving she began when she was 9 years old. Even though she was reluctant to do it, she agreed to take out the weaving (cuz it showed too many “teeth”) and start all over again.
Wayne Price and Dan Shorty pay a visit during our “visiting hours”
9am to 1pm was reserved for the Weaving Class where there were no visitors allowed so we were not interrupted during instruction time – 1pm to 8pm were hours reserved for the Weavers’ Gathering open to any and all visitors and any weavers who wanted to join us during those hours
Ravenstail weaver Dan Shorty and Charlene Baker check out Sherri Atlin’s work
Teahonna James, whose family is from Klawock, Alaska is weaving her very first ever weaving in Ravenstail, making a double-sided pouch
Dan tries to help Ricky weave the side braids, while Teahonna learns what Heather just learned
Stefanie Sidney joined the class a few days after everyone else and wove like the dickens to catch up!
Crystal Rogers begins weaving her Ravenstail leggings
Vancouver artist Alano Edzerza visits Charlene Baker weaving a commissioned Ravenstail headband
Amber prepares her slipknots
Pamela and Ann inspects and congratulates Diane’s completed weaving
Happy weavers create happy weavings which when worn help create happy dancers creating happy families and communities!
Heather, Ricky and Cherish enjoy one anothers’ cozy company
Jun 13, 2013 | Class Act, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Tools-of-the-Trade |
I place up to 15 feet of a 5″ wide strip of yellow or red cedar in my 22-quart pressure cooker to cook all the sap out so I avoid sticky hands while spinning the thin strips with wool to create warp for Chilkat weaving. Notice the tin foil “wind breaker” around the bottom edge of the pot – I learned this from my (all-too-temporary) assistant, Lis Saya
You don’t need to cook the sap out of cedar bark if you are going to weave baskets or hats, etc. You will want to cook the sap out of the bark if you are spinning warp for your Chilkat weavings.
Set up your kitchen outside. Use a propane two-burner hotplate.
First, oil the lid and entire inside of the pot. (This prevents the sap from sticking heavily to your pot.) Do not oil the gasket of the lid. (You want to avoid having the gasket slip out of place.)
Then fill pot with 3/4 amount of water, place your strip(s) of cedar in the water, cover and place weight in its position. How much cedar do you place i this amount of water? Use your discretion based on the size of pot and the size and amount of cedar strips – there is no hard and fast rule here.
After water begins to boil, turn heat down to a rolling simmer and let boil for at least an hour up to two hours at 10-pounds pressure.
Let out pressure; let cool down (I wait until overnight), then remove lid.
Take cedar strips out of pot and place on paper bags.
DO NOT POUR CEDAR BARK water down any internal drains (sinks, toilets, tubs, etc.). Pour the sap outside in your driveway or in an area that you do not want anything to grow.
Let cedar completely dry out before placing in paper bag or cardboard box. NEVER use plastic bags are containers unless of course, you know that cedar is completely thoroughly dry. (Let’s avoid mold)..
Jun 12, 2013 | Class Act, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Tools-of-the-Trade |
My temporary assistant Lis Saya is preparing 2-oz. skeins of weft yarn for dyeing Chilkat yellow
If you’d like to know my recipe for dyeing the Chilkat golden yellow weft, just give me a call and I’ll give it to you over the phone. I am feeling too tired to think about placing the recipe on line here right now. Forgive me for being lazy in this moment.
Golden yellow weft hangs to dry in the sunshine after it has been lightly washed in Ivory dish soap. When dry, we’ll put up the yarns in balls instead of leaving the yarn in skeins.
The best Chilkat gold!!!
May 31, 2013 | Class Act, Latest Art Projects, Showing Off |
Sitting on my weaving bench I include important tools of the trade: laptop with remote, plate of scissors, needles, measure stick, and a notebook with pen
While I am weaving, I always have the necessary tools next to me to avoid having to get up from my bench; no one likes to be interrupted while in full concentration and when “on a roll.” I make sure my laptop is open to my email page, my necessary tools for tending to my weaving process are easily accessed and I have a small spiral-bound notebook and pen always at hand. This notebook allows me to immediately write down thoughts while weaving. Those thoughts can be about household and garden duties I must perform within the next day, week or month, or they could include another task to complete another project I am weaving or painting, or a reminder to contact another weaver to be included in a Weavers’ Gathering, or call the kids to remind them to send a birthday wish to their sibling. In fact, I carry one of this notebook on my person, in my purse and I place one by my bedside each night. Okay, call me a “type A” personality; am I offended? Only if I cannot make note of it!
Apr 1, 2013 | Class Act, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Tools-of-the-Trade |
Above shows the texture of a “Fast-black” weave over three warp ends instead of two or four
Jennie Thlunaut would often use 4-ply yarn to weave just the yellow and black borders of her Chilkat robes. This enabled the weaving of the borders to be completed in half the amount of time when using the standard 2-ply yarn. However, I do not like the thickness of the weave, yet I wanted the weaving of the borders to go a bit quicker. So I “invented” (or at least thought that I invented) what I came to find out is called the “fast-black” weavers.
In the black border of the Chilkat robe, nstead of weaving over every two warp ends, I weave over 3 warp ends.
Years ago when I completed my first Chilkat robe for her uncle, my friend (and weaving student), Donna C., noticed that my black border had a different-looking texture to it. So being the inquisitive and fine weaver that she is, she carefully took a look at my weave and exclaimed “Hey, you are one of those fast-black weavers…I’ve seen this kind of technique in some of the old robes from our area and other places…!”
Really? I thought to myself,…and chucks, I thought I was doing something unique! Ha, I am reminded once again “there is nothing new under the sun” — if it has been thought of, it has been done!
Feb 28, 2013 | Class Act, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Uncategorized |
Chilkat warp stick
Chilkat “warp sticks” are an easy device for measuring warp for your projects. This “traditional” warp stick (shown above) was fashioned directly from Jennie Thluntau’s warp stick. The stick measures approximately 53″ high x 2″ wide x 1″ thick.
Chilkat Warp Stick notches are cut at 1″ intervals
The warp sticks are generally made of wood with notches at 1″ intervals. There are two groups of 1″ notches: The group of longer lengths are for a standard size Chilkat robe; the shorter group of lengths is for a standard size Chilkat apron.
Vanessa Morgan measures her warp lengths on her brand new Chilkat Warp Stick!
Using a piece of cardboard as another alternative for a Chilkat “warp stick” – a piece of cardboard cut to the desired length of a weaving project, you wrap your warp around and around and cut only one end of all the warp – another one of Jennie Thlunaut’s “tricks-of-the-trade”
I hope you are enjoying the various “tricks-of-the-trade” shared with you the past couple of weeks – please stay tuned for additional ones within the next couple of months….thanks for visiting!
