Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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Weaving Words – 1990 Suquamish-Indianola Oral Histories

April 3, 2021 By Melinda

Weaving Words - 1990 Suquamish-Indianola Oral Histories Thirty years ago, some White land owners from the community where I live attempted to block the sale of land to the Suquamish Tribe. For most of time, this land was known to be a part of Traditional Suquamish Territory, so the Tribe persisted and eventually purchased enough land in Indianola … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, My Teachers, News, Resources, Upcoming Tagged With: 1990 Suquamish-Indianola Storytelling Project, Ed Carriere, Elliott Pickrell, Ethel Kitsap Sam, Eva Meacham, Ida Purser, Jo MacKay Imeson, Joan Sunde, Lawrence Webster, MacKay Family, Marilyn Wandrey, Oral Histories, Reine Enschede, Suquamish Museum

Ed Carriere’s Residency at Bloedel Reserve

March 13, 2021 By Melinda

It was a delight to spend a sunny afternoon this March visiting Suquamish Master Weaver and Cultural Teacher, Ed Carriere, during his Artist in Residency at the Bloedel Reserve. Suquamish Elder, Marilyn Wandrey, Ed’s younger cousin, explored the native woodland landscape on Bainbridge Island that surrounds the beautiful house where Ed is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, My Teachers, News, Upcoming, Weaving with Cedar Tagged With: Artist in Residency, Bloedel Reserve, Ed Carriere, Marilyn Wandrey, National Museum of Natural History, National Treasures, Split Cedar Limbs, Split Cedar Roots

Land Acknowledgement 2020

August 22, 2020 By Melinda

Walking to the studio-image by Claire Dibble

Land Acknowledgement 2020 I acknowledge that I reside on the traditional territory of the Suquamish Peoples, People of the Clear Salt Water, whose ancestors have lived here from time immemorial, preserving the land and waters that five generations of my own family have benefitted from. I express my deepest respect and gratitude for all indigenous … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, My Teachers, News, Plants and Places, Resources Tagged With: Land Acknowledgement, Marilyn Wandrey, S’Klallam, Suquamish

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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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Melinda West and basket, Indianola WA

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