Aug 18, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Honoring Others, North Tide, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
The making of the traditional dugout canoe at Cherri and Wayne Price’s porch in Haines, Alaska
How many of you know, or know of, the carver/silversmith/boat builder/hunter Wayne Price? Do you know where he lives? Have you ever taken a class from him? Have you met his wife, Cherri? Or met any of his friends or students or family? It’s time to meet him.
The Price House is always hopping with visitors coming and going – I’m not sure how Wayne gets his work done! And both he and Cherri are always accommodating; they generally drop what they are doing and will converse with you. (They sound like the way I am but I am trying not to be that way to the degree I was else I cannot get my work done!) Here they share their dry fish with Crystal Rogers, Jim Simard and Teahonna James
The Price House: …so I like to help them out in whatever way I can…in this instance, when I caught Wayne and Cherri talking about loading the firewood into the basement, I immediately volunteered the weavers Crystal and Teahonna and Lance Twitchell’s brother to help out…! The community has got to be reminded now and then to “give back” to Wayne and Cherri and it starts with each and every one of us who have benefited from their hospitality !
The Price House: Meagan Jensen looks over Teahonna James weaving the closure of her circle.
The Price House: William Wasden, from Alert Bay, B.C., sings songs from his neck of the woods, while Wayne tends to the fire, the weavers weave and the rest of us listen, watch and take in the scene!
Read more about Wayne and Cherri Price on their website; click here to the link. And when you are in Haines, stop by and say hello – let him know I sent ya!
Aug 18, 2013 | Honoring Others, North Tide, Poetry Alaskan, Relationship Overdrive, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Jennie Thlunaut’s hands weaving closing up the black braids to the eye – May 1986
As we weave the fabric of our lives, working hard through all the days
Mixing colors into twine, cedar too for warp that’s mine
Our hands do hurt but I won’t complain; my students here I’m going to train
To be a weaver of the robe, that people know over all the globe
Our work we do for time will stand, side by side from my ancestor’s land
Their hands I see when I close my eyes; heads of grey, hands wrinkled and wise
Their training I feel all through these days, now I pass it on in so many ways
What I teach I hope and pray, they will learn and weave will stay
Long past my last earth day
My Grandchildren’s Grandchildren I hope will say
This robe I weave is from my land, taught to me by someone Grand
Our story goes on and we prevail; I’m here to tell you a weaver’s tale.
Written by Wayne Price in honor of our weaving tour visit in Haines, Alaska three weeks prior and in memory of our weaving mentor, the late Jennie Thlunaut – written 18 August 2013
Wayne Price wears the “Diving Whale Lovebirds” Chilkat robe recently woven by Clarissa Rizal – June 2013 – weavers Cherish Clarke, Sherri Atlin, and Georgianna Low are standing behind Clarissa and Wayne at the Adaka Festival photo shoot – photo by Ken Kaunshansky
Aug 10, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Class Act, Ravens & Eagles, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
R to L: Darlene See (Hoonah), Alison Bremner (Yakutat) and Joe James (Angoon) review classroom kits designed to teach K-5 students to recognize the interpretation of Tlingit designs
For a week August 5 through the 9th at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center (JACC), Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Jineit Academy, the Juneau School District and JACC sponsored 9 school teachers and 9 Tlingit artists from Southeast Alaska to collaborate with one another to design classroom kits for school teachers to use to teach Tlingit form line art in grades K-12 to be used throughout Southeast Alaska. The intention of this week-long seminar is to educate and upgrade the standards of Tlingit form line art.
Artists and school teachers — L to R: Clarissa Rizal, Konrad Frank, Nicole Demmert, Pauline Johnson, Allie High, Arlene Wilson, Jay Watts, Glenda Lindley, Joe James, Darlene, See, Linda Churchill, Alison Bremner, Susan Nachtigal, Della Cheney, Justina Starzynski, Shgen George, Michelle Martin — James White is not pictured
School teachers received a crash course in learning how to draw Tlingit form line and the Native artists learned skills and strategies in teaching form line art in the schools. Invited artists came from Angoon, Kake, Wrangell, Yakutat, Hoonah, Juneau and as far away as Seattle. School teachers came from as far away as Anchorage. This week-long, intense training course is one of the first of its kind.
One of several example kits (used in the Juneau Public Schools), reviews the learning the ovoid
During our introductions on the first day, we realized that none of us knew what we were getting into. We were not clear of the intention of the course; we just filled out the one-page paperwork a month prior to the event questioning us if we had ever taught in the schools and where we learned our form line art, and figured okay, what the hey! So it’s just like artists to fly on a wing and show up, not knowing what the heck we’re getting into — it’s another adventure! And what an adventure this one was: an experience of a lifetime.
Konrad James explains to the class the kit his group reviewed – Instructor Heather Ridgeway stands in the far right listening to our observations
Enthusiastic Heather Ridgeway formed us into groups of two or three to review classroom kits that have been used in the school system for several years. These kits were examples that helped us learn how to design and implement our own kits that we would create to teach students form line art and refine their art each year so that by the time they reach high school, they are well-versed in thought and hand, how to create a successful Tlingit design.
Academy coordinators Shgen George and Shaadootlaa Hanlon provide guidelines on how the artists and the school teachers will begin to collaborate on the creation of new kits that will teach K-12 students the formline art of the Tlingit
There were so many things we artists learned during this week; and the great part about this seminar was that it was actually fun! We had so much fun thinking, thinking, thinking for 8 hours, that by the end of each day at 5pm we were exhausted. I, personally, can CREATE for 8 hours no problem, but to THINK for 8 hours non-stop, holy, that’s a lot of WORK! — no wonder why teachers cannot do anything else in their 9 months of work other than teach; their creative work is in teaching others how to learn! By the end of this seminar, my appreciation level for teachers in the schools sky-rocketed.
Former-school-teacher-now-Teacher-Trainer Lynn Williams explains one of the strategies used to keep children’s attention and to complete their projects
Teacher Coach, Lynn Mitchell reviews each artist group who begin creation of a new kit
Pauline Johnson (artist) and Glenda Lindley (teacher) collaborate on kit designed to teach a Kindergartener how to identify ovoids in form line art
Juneau school teacher and artist, Shgen George teaches the school teachers a step-by-step process of the basic fundamentals of Tlingit form line art – several of us artists wanted to sit in on the class!
James White (teacher), Nicole Demmert (artist), and Jay Watts (teacher) hash out the details of how the kit instructions will be explained to the school teacher who will use this kit to teach her students form line art – while James does a test piece on his proposed kit using clay
Ask Della Cheney what she thought of the whole concept of Tlingit artists and public school teachers coming together to assist one another in teaching Tlingit form line art to K-12 students: De-light-ful!
Click here to read the Juneau Empire article. Thank you for your interest.
And thank you to Shgen George, Shaadootlaa Hanlon, Davina Cole, and Annie Calkins who helped organize this event.
Thank you to our teaching instructors: Heather Ridgeway, Lynn Mitchell and Roblin Gray
Gunal’cheesh!
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, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Jackie Kookesh wraps red willow shaping her first fish trap
There are a variety of activities held during Teslin’s Kus Te Yea Celebration; these include the sharing of songs and dance through the various dance groups from Whitehorse, Carcross, Atlin, Teslin and other towns about Southeast Alaska (i.e. Yakutat!), a hearty breakfast and nightly feast for each of three days open to all who attend, an artist market, a food market, a tent just for stick-gambling, artist demos and classes, but also the hands-on making of the practical things like fish traps, fish-fileting, smoking moose hide, cedar hat making, Chilkat and Ravenstail weaving, and of course, frying bannock!
Glued “sinew” hold the ends of the fish trap
I’ve just included a few photos to show you what you missed. Teslin’s Celebration is held during the third weekend in June on the “off” year from Juneau’s Celebration. There’s no excuse for not attending. Mark your calendars now for June 2015. This is not a commercial venue, you need not pay to attend, although you can spend as much money as you want at the Cultural Center’s gift shop and at the artist market!
Nearly completed fish trap
Margaret checks her time on smoking moose hide
Margaret uses cedar chips to start and fuel her fire…
Pine cones are burned to smoke the moosehide giving it a medium reddish-brown color – orange peels were burned to create a burnt orange color of the moose hide. For those who don’t know, moose hide is an off-white color before it is smoked.
Benjamin Scheifelman, carver and metalsmith from Teslin, demonstrates the creation of a copper T’naa pendant
One of Ben’s students hand-pounds texture into the copper
A few tools of copper-smithing
Carver silversmith Wayne Price from Haines, Alaska demonstrates the next step in carving cedar dance paddles
Wayne demonstrates “shaving” the paddle for young student
A fine sealskin roll-up satchel houses Wayne’s carving tools
- Nothing quite like the inland Tlingit bead workers in leather
Fresh, friend bannock for the evening’s community feast!
Jul 29, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, North Tide, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
A dugout canoe on the shores of Teslin Lake, Yukon, created in 2009 by a group of First Nations carvers from the Whitehorse area of Yukon under the guidance of master carver, Wayne Price from Haines, Alaska
Juneau photographer Ron Klein, directs everyone for a beautiful photo shoot.
A beautiful sunny afternoon for a group photo!
Close up…!
Lots of elders
Still more elders…!
Shaadootlaa!
Debra Michel and Wayne Carlick from Atlin, B.C.
The fiberglass canoes…beautifully, colorful and quiet on the shores of Teslin Lake
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 28, 2013 | Honoring Others, Latest Art Projects, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
The Mt. Fairweather Dancers from Hoonah, Alaska prepare to do their performance in honor of Huna Totem Corporation’s 40th year while shareholder members gather together at the fire pit along the board walk that leads one way to the Cannery Site and the other way to the Resturaunt
Huna Totem Corporation had sent out an RFP to their shareholder artists requesting a design in whatever medium the artist chose to represent their vision statement for the future: “…sailing the canoe of our ancestor’s into the future…” My design of a button robe was commissioned. Click here to the blog entry of the design.
(Note: In this blog entry you won’t be seeing any photographs of other activities during the 40th celebration because I didn’t attend any others due to a time constraint – I was only at the celebration for not quite an hour.)
After the first “coming in” dance, the Mt. Fairweather Dancers turn their backs against the audience to show each dancer’s clan emblem
During that same weekend of July 26, 27 and 28 was in Teslin, Yukon for the weekend demonstrating Chilkat weaving with several of my apprentices during their biennial “Kus Te Yea Celebration 2013”. (click here to read the blog entry on the Celebration event.) Huna Totem implored me to come down to Hoonah on the day of their event, Saturday the 27th, to do the presentation of the robe and explain the design; they wanted me to do this in person so I was plugged into the agenda at 1:30pm. Even though I really didn’t want to leave my students and to leave the Teslin Celebration for a day, I agreed to go to Hoonah (especially since Huna Totem has been good to me, I will do the same for them!)
Young children, Fran Franolovich, Lillian Hillman and Marlene Johnson enjoying the youth of the Mt. Fairweather Dancers
I don’t know what other events happened during the day at Huna’s 40th celebration because I really didn’t have time to partake in the events, so I cannot give you any other information other than tell you about my spectacular drive from Teslin to Skagway and the return flight from Hoonah to Skagway via Juneau and Haines. (Click here to see the blog entry on the return flight from Hoonah to Skagway.)
Huna Totem Board Members and M.C. Kenny Grant are invited to dance with the Mt. Fairweather Dancers
The drive from Teslin to Skagway was 3 hours; absolutely one of the most beautiful drives in the world! (I kept in mind that Yukon time is one hour ahead of Alaska time.) I caught the plane from Skagway to Juneau at 11:45am; it was a 45 minute flight to Juneau; then caught the 12:45pm 20-minute flight to Hoonah arriving a little bit after 1pm and by the time I arrived at the Cannery Point, it was about 1:45 and luckily the program was running a little late, I had just enough time to eat a bag of chips, briefly say hello to Kogo Hugo and meet her mother from Japan, and say hello to Florence Sheakley and check out her beaded earrings, and then it was time to do the presentation. After explaining the design (click here for blog entry on the robe design and explanation), I had about 10 minutes to enjoy the rest of the Mt. Fairweather Dancers’ performance and then I was whisked away and caught the outbound flight to Juneau at 3:30 with board members of the Huna Totem; we arrived in Juneau by 4:00. I had an hour to hang out at the consignment shop “Alaska Dames” before catching the 5:30 flight to Skagway via Haines. The pilot said he just had to take a few extra minutes and do a flight like that since the weather was so perfectly beautiful!
The flight from Juneau to Haines was phenomenal (click here to see the blog entry on that fabulous flight); the pilot took us on a scenic flight of the local glaciers in the Juneau area: the Mendenhall, Peterson and Eagle; he flew over Berner’s Bay, then across Lynn Canal up towards the mouth of the Chilkat River just south of Haines – then we flew UP the Davidson Glacier, flew around the back side of the front range of the Chilkats and then DOWN Rainbow Glacier, passed Paradise Cover (where I once had land), over Pyramid Island and then landed at the Haines airport – Holy what a flight!!!
When we flew up Davidson I cried I was so happy I unbuckled my seat belt and looked out both sides of the plane’s window; I just love this land, I love the Chilkat range, I love the Chilkat river; I so be-long here! I swear that when I die, I want my ashes spread up and down these Chilkat glaciers and at the mouth of the Chilkat River and at Paradise Cove!
By the time I arrived in Skagway, it was 7pm (that’s 8pm Yukon time). I could have spent the night in Skagway, but I just wanted to make the drive back to Teslin and wake up to another day of demonstrating in our little “weavers’ cabin” on Teslin Lake for the last day of Teslin’s “Kus Te Yea.” I got detained at the Yukon Alaska border because I got into a half-hour conversation with the border guard about politics, art, cultural integration, etc. It was already 9:30 by the time I left the border and I was getting tired. I had to pull over a couple of times to rest; I was avoiding falling asleep at the wheel. The weather was beautiful the entire day; the night was just as astounding. At this time of year, the sky does not get totally dark, so there are no stars to see, though the natural evening midnight sun light was gorgeous; everything looked “rosie.” I passed 3 cars during the entire drive from Skagway to Teslin, arriving at midnight. And there were never any cars behind me. I suppose I was the only car heading North from Skagway for those particular hours. It was eerie. I don’t think I will do that drive by myself again!
Mentor and Dance Instructor Billy Wilson rests while he watches his “children” do the songs and dances
This particular Raven Dancer knows how to strut!
The pride and unity of the Mt. Fairweather Dancers!
During my brief visit to this event in Hoonah, I looked about me at all the folks who came out to help celebrate Huna Totem’s 40th year – everyone looked so familiar even though many of the people I did not recognize. I looked about and realized that the elders that I was used to seeing were no longer; I realized that the folks who were just 10 to 20 years older than me were really not that much older than me! whoa! I am becoming one of those elders! Holy moly!
After spending an entire month with the in-land Tlingit in Yukon where there is no ocean, no ocean smell, not as much moisture in the air, I truly felt like I fit in with those people, yet, coming down to Hoonah even for an hour, I felt a true kinship with the land here too, of course with its people – my clan the T’akDeinTaan are originally from here – we were branched down from the Coho from the Alsek River in the Yakutat area – I have to remember that I am a “coastal Native” (as the in-land Tlingit define us).
M.C. Kenny Grant reads the real copy of Clarissa’s latest brochure. He was going to read from a xerox copy of the brochure that someone handed to him so he could introduce Clarissa properly when she presents the button robe she was commissioned to create in honor of Huna Totem’s 40th year; when Clarissa saw that his was a copy and not the real thing, she presented him with his own very real brochure! Kenny’s immediate response: “Hey,…this is MUCH BETTER! Now I can actually READ it!”
I would post a photo of myself presenting the Button robe that I recently completed for Huna Totem’s 40th, but I didn’t take a photo of me explaining the design to the celebration audience. I will post one as soon as someone emails or texts me a photo image of it! In the meantime, click here to see the design and creation of the button robe BEFORE delivering the completed robe to Huna Totem.
Gunal’cheesh Hoho! Thank you very much for visiting my blog and reading this entry!
