Here’s the link to watch the nine 2016 NEA Fellowship Awardees perform/present their work on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDVckQQ-LtM
It’s about 2 hours long. With my entourage, Darlene See, Donna Beaver, Irene Lampe and I are on at about 1:40 in the link (though I have watched the entire video clip)!
Clarissa models her latest Chilkat robe “Egyptian Thunderbird” at Eagle River Beach in Juneau, Alaska (Hmmm…Clarissa’s hair is the same color as the beaver fur trim and don’t you just love her “Raven” ears!) — photo by NEA photographer, Tom Pich
Click on this link to see your open invitation to the general public for the NEA Heritage Fellowship concert: 2016-heritage-ceremony-invitation
As part of the award ceremonies during the week of September 25-30, 2016, the NEA National Heritage Fellowships Concert will be on Friday, September 30, 2016. For those who are not in Washington, D.C. area, the event will be streamed live at arts.gov. If you are in Washington, D.C. area, the Friday night presentations/concert is wide open to the public. Feel free to pass this information along to your family and friends who aren’t able to be in DC that day.
Each of the 9 awardees will be doing an 8-minute presentation of their work. I will be doing a brief presentation on preparing the cedar bark and wool, then spinning, then weaving. Then the last 4 or 5 minutes, Irene Jean Lampe, Donna Beaver Pizzarelli and Darlene See will be joining me on stage to present some of my latest robes (and of course, the Weavers Across the Waters robe will be one of those robes, worn by Donna), along with an historical robe care-taken by my sister Irene. To provide the audience (far and wide) an idea of how the robes are used, the four of us will be singing/dancing a song composed and written many, many years ago by our T’akDeinTaan clan member Kloon’eesh (John K. Smith).
Grand-daughters Simone and Amelie Haas always made a daily check-up on the status of the hanging slip knots; it’s good to allow the little people to come visit and “play” with the yarns (under supervision of course). Clarissa’s Chilkat weaving teacher and mentor, Jennie Thlunaut had told Clarissa the story about how when she was 5 years old, she would “play” with her mother’s warp and weft as it hung on the loom. Whatever children play with and enjoy when they are young is most likely what they will do for a living when they are adults
A month ago, I finally began weaving the borders that will frame the “Weavers Across the Waters” Chilkat/Ravenstail robe. I did not wait for all the 5×5 squares to arrive, though I had received more than half of the 54 committed donations then. The following is a photo essay of the process:
Using the traditional warp stick (fashioned after Jennie Thlunaut’s), Clarissa measures out the length of the strands for the side borders
Clarissa uses the length of a book that measures (close to the) exact length she needs for the top border of the robe
Inspired by Teahonna James’ 5×5, here is the first color combo of the top border of the “Weavers Across the Waters” Chilkat and Ravenstail ceremonial robe
The top border of the ‘Weavers Across the Waters’ Chilkat/Ravenstail robe
The beginning of the yellow border (Traditionally, a black border was woven and the a yellow border; Clarissa took the liberty of “jazzing up” the black and yellow borders. Notice there are no horizontal braids between the yellow and black borders. Clarissa plans on replacing the horizontal braids with a row of white Mother-of-Pearl buttons instead
Prepared slip knotted strands hang from the lightly-stablizing cross bar; instead of using your good weaving hours to make slip knots, it’s always best to prepare the strands while visiting with folks, or while taking a bath, and choose a discreet seat when you make slip knots at a funeral
Notice the laptop close at hand, along with the basket of yarns and of course when you need to remind yourself of certain tasks, or you have an idea of another project or you just remembered your grocery list, keep your notebooks (daily planner, sketch book, pocket notebook, etc.) at hand at all times near your weaving loom
Three generations of weavers begin weaving the side borders of the “Weavers Across the Waters” Chilkat and Ravenstail robe: Ursala demonstrates her innovative fingering techniques to her daughter, Amelie and her mother, Clarissa.
The borders of the “Weavers Across the Waters” Chilkat and Ravenstail robe; the small white diamonds were a suggestion by my daughter, weaver Lily Hope
Clarissa and Ursala weave the side borders of the “Weavers Across the Waters” Chilkat/Ravenstail robe
Teahonna James weaves the last couple of inches of the side borders
The side borders required hours of commitment. Clarissa measured her length of time to the inch; it takes her 1 hour to weave 1 inch. This translates to an estimate of 1-1/2” hours per inch for Ursala and/or Teahonna to achieve. In the foreground are all the squares being sewn together by Clarissa
For the initial project launch, invite, purpose, design specs and who are the ‘weavers across the waters’ who have volunteered to be a part of this project, please visit previous blog posts on my website, at:
Click here for Recent update before this current blog post
Click here for the launch, invite, design specs
As of June 9th, 2016, these are the very first 5×5 contributions from the following weavers: Stephany Anderson, Kay Parker, Willy White, Alfreda Lang, Sandy Gagnon, and Dolly Garza
Being the creator (or “mastermind as my Mother would have put it) of this community-based project, would I had known that when I have receive each of these priceless 5×5 woven Chilkat and Ravenstail weavings, I would feel such honor and a privilege to hold each one in the palm of my hands!? Would I have known that I would feel such pure and raw power in each simple image!? And would I have known that I would feel such intense protectiveness as I hand-carried these in my carry-on luggage; like worse than when I am transporting a robe that I have designed and made!?!? — In the purity of this power, I feel immense grace and lovingness; I feel such excitement and peace; I feel strength and healing; I feel the connectedness of all beings through the anticipation of connecting all of these weavers’ weavings together. This is already a powerful robe. My goodness, we share in the excitement and most likely all of what I feel too in the completion of this robe!
As of today, July 13, 2016, we have 23 total contributions received from (top to bottom, L to R): Della Cheney, Margaret Woods, Douglas Gray, Lily Hope, Nila Rinehart, Kay Parker, Stephanie Andersen, William White, Karen Taug, Courtney Jensen, Alfreda Lang, Chloe French, Dolly Garza, Georgia Bennett, Rainy Kasko, John Beard, Michelle Gray, Marilee Peterson, Annie Ross, Sandy Gagnon, Pearl Innes, Veronica Ryan and Crystal Nelson
The past couple of nights since my return to Tulsa, which is where I will be working day and night on putting this robe together for the next month, I put a cloth cover over all the little weavings who lay side by side with one another, like the way we cover our weavings for the night. Already these little ones have become dear. —- Thank you to all our present-day weavers who have contributed their talent through a piece of their spirit to become unified as one in this special, ceremonial robe. We look forward to receiving the other 31 pieces due by the extended deadline of July 19th!
Remember to mail your contribution insured to me at: Clarissa Rizal, 40 East Cameron Street #207, Tulsa, OK 74103
For more information on the mission and purpose of this robe, please visit the initial “invitational” blog post by clicking this link: http://www.clarissarizal.com/blogblog/calling-all-chilkat-and-ravenstail-weavers/
Clarissa Rizal with her half-completed Chilkat robe “Egyptian Thunderbird on the loom; the pattern board is on the wall behind her — May 2016 — Photo by Tulsa Photographer, Jeremy Charles
The National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C. announced their Lifetime Achievement Awards today. I received one of nine selected for 2016!
I thank everyone who helped put me in this position of honor! (I have to run out the door for grandma duties; will write more later on this!)
Please click here for more info.
Lily Hope demonstrates to her mother and sister Ursala Hudson, how to weave the “frosting on the cake” side braids of Clarissa Rizal’s latest Chilkat robe “Egyptian Thunderbird” — June 2016
This year, I was determined to learn while teaching side braids to my immediate family of women: my 2 daughters and their Auntie. We wove side braids on my latest Chilkat robe, on my daughter Lily’s Chilkat robe, and my sister’s Chilkat robe. Boom; we gotterdun!
What are the side braids to a Chilkat robe? On the right and left side of most Chilkat robes, there is a woven “netting” that houses the fringe that when a Chilkat robe is worn, lies in the very front. In my experience, weaving the side braids is the funnest part of weaving a Chilkat robe and usually, outside of trimming the robe with fur around the neck, putting in the overlay fringe at the bottom, weaving the side braids is the last finishing touch of a woven robe. And it’s the frosting on the cake, it’s the cream of the crop, it’s the best of the best, and it’s one of the last things we do to complete a Chilkat robe!
If you want to learn about side braids, check out Cheryl Samuel’s book on Chilkat weaving; there are some fine illustrations and instructions on what the side braids are and how to weave them.
Ursala Hudson weaves the side braids of her sister Lily Hope’s Chilkat robe, while Lily tends to her young toddler daughter
My youngest daughter, Ursala learned how to weave the side braids about 3 years ago when I was finishing up my 8th woven robe, the “Diving Whale Lovebirds.” When she was done, she was smiling and exclaimed: “Mamma,…this was so much fun…can we just skip weaving a robe and just weave a sculpture that is made entirely of side braids!?!? Haha! I encourage weavers to learn how to weave Chilkat just so they can know the joy of weaving the side braids of a robe!
Irene Jean Lampe, younger sister to Clarissa Rizal, learns to weave the side braids of her first Chilkat robe — June 2016
Lily and I got my sister Irene to finally learn how to weave the side braids; it took 4 hours of practice, practice and practice before she finally could do it without worry on her own. Learning the side braids takes however long it takes for each individual to getterdun! — Yet once learned by heart, it’s the everlasting song of songs!
The older Chilkat apron, most likely started by Doris Kyber-Gruber in the early 70s is held in front of the new Chilkat apron started by Doris’ friend, Dodie Gannet in the late 80s — The folks have finished the newer apron! They are (LtoR): Sally Ishikawa, Jodi Zimmerman, Margaret Jeppesen, Margaret Woods, Stephany Anderson and their consultant Ravenstail weaver extraordinaire, John Beard — December 2014
The “Apron Apprentices” (as they call themselves) have completed the Chilkat apron! Congratulations! The dedication is commendable! Here is a video clip showing the removal-of-the-apron-from-the-loom today by Ann Carlson – https://youtu.be/AW5sFVWs8_Q
Here’s an earlier blog post from December 2014 when I helped guide these weavers with a few more tricks of the trade in Chilkat weaving and this post also provides a story about how this apron came into the hands of these fiber artists/weavers in Oregon: http://www.clarissarizal.com/blogblog/the-apron-apprentices-oregon/
Thank you to Deana Dartt, Curator of Native American art at the Portland Art Museum for providing financial support in helping these weavers to complete this apron. The apron will become part of their permanent collection, which is befitting because of the lineage of Chilkat weavings that PAM has in its collection. We believe that there is no other institution that has the lineage of teacher/student/teacher/student, etc. as the following:
* Chilkat robe woven by Jennie Thlunaut’s auntie who taught Jennie how to weave
* Chilkat tunic woven by Jennie
* Chilkat robe woven by Clarissa, apprentice to Jennie
* Chilkat aprons: the older unfinished one woven by Doris (a student of Jennie’s in the late 60s/early 70s); the most recently completed apron started by Doris’ friend Dodie Gannett (who was learning from Doris), eventually completed 30 years later by the “Apron Apprentices.”
* Commissioned Chilkat robe woven by Lily Hope, apprentice to Clarissa — this robe will be completed by January 2017
The catalogue for the “Chilkat Blankets: Artistic Masterpieces” exhibit of antique Chilkat robes held in private collections in the U.S. recently displayed at the Antique Native American Art Show & Sale at El Museo De Santa Fe this past August 2015
I have a limited 10 copies of these books available for sale at my booth during the Clan Conference held Wednesday, October 28th through Sunday, November 1st at Centennial Hall in Juneau, Alaska. They are excellent study reference, especially since we will not see these robes in museums because they are in private collections. They are $25/each
I interpret this design as the “Diving White Raven Amongst the Bullkelp” image woven in this antique Chilkat robe
Clipping a little girl’s fingernails
To ensure a young girl to become a good weaver, in the olden days, her fingernails were clipped and woven into the Chilkat robes. The late master Chilkat weaver Jennie Thlunaut’s daughter, Agnes Bellinger called this “…kind of like a brainwashing…” This method was to encourage a straight and narrow path for the girl to grow up to be a strong, talented woman of good character. Agnes said “You can use this method for anything you want your child to become…”
“Naaxein” is the Tlingit word for Chilkat weaving
During the Summer of 2013, a couple of my apprentices and I had volunteered to do Chilkat weaving demonstrations at the Sheldon Museum in Haines, Alaska. While we were there, of course, they had a nice collection of Chilkat weavings from the area, and to our surprise some weaving terms in the Tlingit language! So on behalf of the Sheldon Museum, I post some of the Chilkat weaving terms as well as the origin of Chilkat weaving according to an anthropologist from the turn of the century who wrote the book “The Chilkat Blanket, George Emmons.
In addition to the comment in the above photo made about Jennie Thlunaut’s signature, Jennie’s checkerboard “signature” was a pattern of yellow and blue.
Cost of a Chilkat robe back in the mid-1800’s was $30
Jennie had told me that she sold her first robe for $50. If my memory serves me, it was the robe started by her mother who passed away when she was a young teenager. She thought $50 was pretty good for a Chilkat robe; she had a confident smile on her face as she spoke.
“Kasek’xu” Tlingit word for dye
Jennie and Agnes Bellinger (Jennie’s daughter) told me the golden yellow was what weavers strived for and the best way to do this was all in the urine. The best urine to make the golden yellow was urine from a woman in her last month of pregnancy; second best urine was from a newborn infant. The way they collected the urine from a newborn was to place the “wolf moss” in the diaper and only collect #1 (as opposed to #2) and put the soaked wolf moss in the dye bath. The older the baby, or child’s urine, the more pale the golden yellow. Jennie and Agnes said there is no wolf moss in Southeast Alaska. The moss was a trade item with the tribes on the other side of the coastal mountains in British Columbia, Canada. The youth of the urine made the biggest difference in the color achieved and the set of the dye.
“Kakein” is Tlingit word for yarn
The mountain goat wool and cedar bark spin together as if they were mated for life; they are attracted to one another like bee to a flower! Mountain goat hides are hard to come by; and even if they were easy to acquire, there are so many Chilkat and Ravenstail weavers on board, we would make the herds run away further up into the high barren mountains! In the bio on Jennie Thlunaut here on my website under “Tributes,” there is a map showing the places where the men would hunt for mountain goat. Today there are a couple of guys who hunt mountain goat. We weavers need to do trades with these guys so we can let go of using the 2nd best wool that has replaced the mountain goat: merino wool from New Zealand. This wool is the closest fiber in the world next to the mountain goat. It spins up okay, but not as fine as the bee and flower of cedar bark and mountain goat wool…!
Teey Woodi Tlingit for Cedar Bark
The Western yellow cedar is best o split because the strands are silky smooth (when wet), they pull out into longer strands than the cedar (which is more brittle), and when you spin the bark and wool (done on the thigh), your hands are not prone to the first layer of skin rubbing off! Though if red cedar is all there is to collect, or someone gifted me some, then it is only sensible to not look the gift horse in the mouth. You acquire what you can! It is best to harvest the red cedar when the first sign of spring shows up with new green growth at the tips of the cedar tree boughs.
Chilkat weaving origins
There are several stories of the origin of where Chilkat weaving first began and how it came to and was retained in the Chilkat River Valley in Haines/Klukwan, Alaska. The Nishga’a in the Nass River area claim the weaving originated in the Nass River and only the Nishga’a inhabitated the area, not the Tsimpshian. The Tsimpshian from the Skeena River say Chilkat weaving originated there. The weaving had died out because of western contact in both areas, but fortunately, as one of the stories go, a Chilkat chief married a weaver from the Nass River (or Skeena River?), and then another story says it was the other way around. No matter what the story, all agree that there were specifically 4 sisters of a Raven Clan in Klukwan who unraveled the Chilkat apron to gain the knowledge of how the weaving was done.
Traditionally men designed the Chilkat robes because they were the artists of form line; women were the weavers…
Jennie said she finished a Chilkat robe in 6 months; she had pride on her face as she spoke. I didn’t believe her at first, but after I learned her fingering of speed, accuracy and tension, and I applied her knowledge to my weavings of today, well……?