Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

Growing, gathering, and weaving with plant fibers from the Pacific Northwest

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Suquamish Museum Presentation

September 17, 2015 By Melinda

The Suquamish Museum, in Suquamish Washington, is the heart of this lovely community, which was also the home and burial place of Chief Seattle. the museum houses the cultural artifacts of this ancient Salish community, from it’s origins to the present. Every month the Suquamish Museum offers a free family film night. Tonight, filmmaker Katie Jennings will tell how she was able to document many important teachings of respected local elders.

Traditionally, in Salish cultures, important cultural, spiritual, technical, and ecological information was passed on from one generation to the next through the many methods of the oral tradition. Katie Jennings films introduce these elders to those that might not ever have the opportunity to understand the valuable information held by local First Peoples cultures, lessons which are relevant to the greater community today.

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Above, Ed Carriere shows Katie Jennings the replica of the “Biderbost” basket, a 2000 year old basket found near the Snoqualmie River.

 

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Ed Carriere, Suquamish elder and Master Weaver, is featured in the film “Clam Basket A Story By Ed Carriere”.

 

teachings_of_the_tree_peopl, Bruce Miller, subiyay, Skokomish Cultural Teacher and Artist, 2004

The late Skokomish culture-bearer, Bruce Miller, is featured in the “Teachings of The Tree People”.

 

The late Upper Skagit Elder and Cultural Teacher Vi Hilbert
The late Upper Skagit Elder and Cultural Teacher Vi Hilbert

The late, Vi Hilbert, is featured in “Huchoosedah Teachings of the Heart”

 

Suquamish Master Weaver Ed Carriere
Suquamish Master Weaver Ed Carriere

Ed Carriere will also be attending this presentation, bringing some examples of his work.  Hope you can come!

Filed Under: My Teachers, Resources Tagged With: Clam Basket A Story By Ed Carriere, Ed Carriere, Huchoosedah Teachings of the Heart, Katie Jennings, Skagit elder Vi Hilbert, Skokomish elder Bruce Miller, Suquamish Film Night, Teachings of The Tree People

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Recent Posts

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About Melinda

Forty years ago, while sitting on the beach playing with my young children, I made my first basket out of a pile of willow trimmings someone had tossed there. It looked wildly made like a crazy bird’s nest. While being together with my two sons on a beautiful Pacific Northwest shoreline, this simple experience of crafting with the natural materials at hand kindled a passion for creating forms using plant fibers. I thank my family, my community, and all my teachers for cultivating this gift in me.
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