Students learn to make small bark baskets using the inner bark of the Western Red Cedar, a tree highly valued by First Peoples cultures of the Pacific Northwest.
Learn why the Western Red Cedar has been referred to as “Long-Life-Maker’ by the First Peoples of the Pacific Northwest as you experience the process of preparing your own inner bark for weaving, along with Bear grass and Wild Cherry bark, and also prepare your own NW sweetgrass for twinning. My first opportunity to learn about the amazing qualities of this generous tree was in 1985 from Michelle Berg at the Burke Museum, and from Fran and Bill James, Lummi, at the Whatcom Museum. You will learn to love these native plants as you learn more about their abundant qualities, and their long history of use by the Weaving cultures of the Pacific Northwest.
