Since time immemorial Indigenous cultures all over the world have gathered, refined, and passed forward their Traditional Ecological Knowledge through practicing their traditional arts, including plant fiber technologies such as weaving. Passing forward earth sciences and cultural knowledge in such a way is part of the oral tradition. Unlike the modern industrial culture of today, the oral traditions come with the understanding and point of view of reciprocity, inclusion, and personal relationships.
Weaving with plant fibers is a living art form. Nothing I write or share in this website can substitute for a relationship with a Living Master at their craft. I implore you, if you are interested in learning anything well, please look, and find a Living Master near you. Or travel to them if you can. I think about the knowledge I've been given as a tree. My teachers and my own ancestors are the roots and sap, my origins. My family and community are strength of the trunk, which supports me in every way. My students, and their students, are the branches and the seeds. We are all part of a forest of living knowledge.
Audrey Armstrong Inspires by Teaching Salmon Skin Sewing
Story & Photography by Bethany Goodrich – Bethany Goodrich is a multimedia storyteller living, loving and working in Southeast Alaska. She has worked around the globe, from Antarctica to Ghana, exploring how thoughtful story sharing can positively impact our communities, ecosystems and world.
Fish Skin Preparation into a Material For Craft
Koyukon and Athabascan Artist, Audrey Armstrong, recently taught a Fish Skin Workshop at Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network. I’ll be sharing bits of what we learned. She was a wonderful teacher.
Repost of a 2020 Interview with J & M Davidson for London Craft Week
Blowing the dust off of piles of past work, I found this interview from The Covid Era which may be of interest.
Water Is Life – A Song Worth Hearing
A song by Oliver Enjady and Lyla June. I hope you can listen.
Suquamish Elder Ed Carriere is a 2023 National Heritage Fellow
We who know Ed Carriere, have always seen him as a treasured teacher and an encyclopedia of traditional ecological knowledge. But now he will truly be honored as a 2023 National Heritage Fellowship Recipient.
Living Teachers, Living Landscapes, Living Students
A few thoughts after a long pause from writing to you.
Food Along the Trail – Big Leaf Maple Flower Fritters
Elise Krohn and Sable Bruce, of GRuB & Gather, Tend & Grow, have generously shared a delicious recipe during their presentation to the South Sound Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society.
Weaving Nature Workshop Fall 2022 at BARN
Hello again. I’m still here and I hope you are too! Are you interested in learning how to respectfully and sustainably gather, prepare, store and utilize fibers from the plants and trees that grow in the communities we are a part of?
Weaving Words – 1990 Suquamish-Indianola Oral Histories
Listen to the Suquamish-Indianola 1990 Storytellers tell about recollections of people, places and life experiences growing up in Indianola during the first half of the 20th century.
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