I’ve always been aware that I live in a special community. There are so many folks in Indianola who amaze me by their kindness, brilliance, generosity, artistic skills, and by the hard-working and interesting lives they lead. One such individual is life-time Indianola resident, Ed Carriere. Ed Carriere is a quiet gentleman with many talents: carpenter, wood carver, canoe builder, retired machinist, basket weaver, star and subject of short cultural-art documentaries, subject of numerous cultural-art articles and a soon to be published book about the rediscovery of ancient Salish Sea Basketry. Ed’s insatiable appetite for learning the science contained within the traditional cultural-arts he practices makes it hard for me to believe he is an octogenarian. He rarely passes up an opportunity to push his boundaries. Recently a three-year collaboration with archaeologist Dale Croes has drawn him into the world of academia. Ed and Dale have co-authored a paper for the Society for American Archaeology and have been presenting their findings at national and international conferences. Ed and Dale are at the forefront of what may be called Indigenous Archaeology, a wholistic, culturally inclusive method of gaining knowledge from artifacts. Last year Ed and Dale traveled to Miami and London to present their findings and then traveled on to Hokkaido, Japan, to exchange cultural and environmental information with the indigenous Ainu People. Last September, Ed and Dale received the Washington State Historical Society’s Peace and Friendship Award for their work together recreating ancient Salish Sea Basketry from fragments found throughout Western Washington and British Columbia. On Friday, June 9th, 6:30-7:30, Ed Carriere will give a special presentation at the new Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network where you can see two wonderful films about his work, and he will share his amazing story of recreating ancient Salish Sea Basketry.
