As I am currently living in Juneau Marsha, Gwen and I have met several times over zoom. Marsha, Gwen and I felt it was important to learn the “behind the scenes” of making a Chilkat Robe. Gwen and I want to know what it means to gather the materials, spin the warp, find and prepare the cedar and dye the weft.
In one of our conversations with Marsha, over zoom, she mentioned we should be on the lookout for a spinning wheel. The next day there was a spinning wheel posted on Juneau-Buy-Sell Trade. I reached out and was able to purchase it. I can’t tell you how excited I was to be the one to “score” the spinning wheel.
Marsha told us we needed to find some yellow cedar. I reached out to Holly (Churchill) Burns (I have taken several basketry classes from Holly and her mother) and asked if she had any yellow cedar that we could utilize for our weaving. Holly and I were able to work out a trade. I was able to send her some hooligan oil, made by my cousin Viva Landry and her husband David Landry, and I made some baby moccasins for Holly’s grandson. I felt very honored to be given the task of making the moccasins for Holly’s grandson. It took me a bit to figure out the design for those moccasins. In the end the moccasins tell a story of a spider (a natural weaver) who wove some hearts for her grandson.
Gwen and I have come to the conclusion, that it must have taken a small army to gather the supplies needed for one robe. From the gathering of the Mountain Goat Wool to the gathering of the natural materials for dye, to the gathering of Cedar from Prince of Wales Island, to the preparation of the Mountain Goat Wool, to the preparation of the materials for dyeing to the preparation of the Cedar, each step in the process takes time. A lot of time.
My father often spoke on gathering the Mountain Goat Wool with his cousins. My grandmother and her children helped prepare the Mountain Goat Wool for my Great-Grandmother. It was a family affair to gather and make the warp.
Marsha put Gwen and I in touch with, mother and daughter, Shaadoutlaa and Raven to purchase Chilkat warp. They were taught by Ernestine Hanlon who took the class our Great-Grandmother taught in Haines. How special to know that our second piece will be woven using the warp spun by Shaadoutlaa and Raven and that they are utilizing the skills taught so long ago by our Great-Grandmother.
Before my father’s passing, he and my mother had purchased two looms’. One for myself and one for Gwen. We both received them for Christmas. Both of our looms were made by master carver Wayne Price. Wayne lives in our hometown, Haines.
It makes it extra special to know that our first Chilkat pieces will be woven utilizing the loom carved by Wayne and given/gathered by our parents.