Ketchikan | Cedar Bark Weaving

I think the art of basketry is really important because when human started weaving baskets they could move and weaving clothing they could move out of the caves because they could make thatched roofs they could make clothing they could make containers to pick berries so I think in my own way I think that it keeps us doing things that we did culturally basketry is created here in southeast with the material of the western red and yellow cedar bark and also with the root of the sickest furs and they're considered the most second most valued baskets in a basket collection in the world we're weaving baskets and we're out in the forest we're saying our in recognizing since on you on in Sun Sonia way solana for the trees that they provided for us you have a blessing and you make sure you introduce yourself to the cedar tree really you don't pick the tree the tree picks you you're looking for trees that are huggable and so you're having your blessing you make a small little cut on the very base of the tree put a bone all underneath it you pull it harvesting you are thinking of the piece that you're doing even in today's world where I'm commercial selling I will bring myself back to the harvest so I'm going to think am I going to make a very basket am I going to make a slap berry basket so I can be thankful to those spirits that are spirit helpers so that it helps me along with the creation of my piece when I met Holly and I learned about basketry I didn't really know much about being native because we didn't do a lot of native things in the home and so I think that when I met her I identified with being native and it was actually a life-changing moment the day I found basketry so it really it really um it really put me in touch with being native I think and being you know Haida which I didn't really know a lot about I think I'm very traditional I'm very attracted to traditional basketry so all the stuff and all the materials I use are all traditional materials and I gather all my stuff and make all my stuff when she was four she learned how to make the twine and this is made out of yellow cedar and you take the yellow cedar and you thigh spin it and you make twine that you use to weave garments cedar bark garments and that's a football of a puppy like a hundred yards of twine your baskets are as good as your material is so the better you get at making that the better placing baskets you have

Channel: Visit Ketchikan

Views: 21,145

Rating: 4.9130435 out of 5

Keywords: Ketchikan, Alaska, native arts and crafts, haida, southeast alaska, alaskan native art, alaska native art

Id: t7aunDwsy5M

Length: 3min 12sec (192 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 26 2012