As Lovey Bjorge works on a basket, instructor Faye Kohrt uses an ivory awl to help Becky Simpson tighten the weave on her project on April 7. The three-day course was held at the SNO building last week, teaching participants how to weave using cedar bark.
Residents had their hands full last week, working out knots and weaving cedar into baskets as part of an extended class.
Alaska Native Sisterhood Association sponsored the event, which was led by local weaver Faye Kohrt.
Kohrt has been weaving since 1988, when she took a course on the art form with Dolores Churchill from Ketchikan.
"It's not that hard to do," she explained.
Bundled coils of cedar bark are briefly soaked in water to make them more pliant. Following a pattern and exercising a patient attention to detail, the artisan gradually works the material into the desired shape. Additional decorations and colored strands get worked into the design as it progresses.
Over the three-day course, 15 participants made different sizes and styles of baskets. Most had never tried the craft before, or had not done so for quite some time. Working strips of bark into a basket necklace, Caroline Demmert recounted it was the first time she had woven anything since childhood, when her grandmother taught her.
"It's detailed, but it's fun," said Lovey Bjorge, for whom the class was a first. She has experience with crochet, but found the skills needed for weaving to be pretty distinct.
Sandy Churchill pointed out there were other nuances to overcome. Working in a Tlingit style for the first time, Churchill explained it was opposite from the Haida weaves she was accustomed to – from the bottom up to the right, rather than from top down to the left.
"It's like driving in England. My mind's having a hard time flipping," she said.
Kohrt moved from weaver to weaver, offering tips and tightening the spacing with an awl as needed. The class of mostly women chatted amicably over coffee and water each afternoon, and what was meant to be a three-day class extended over the weekend into this week.
ANSA president Lovey Brock explained the group will likely hold another weaving class soon, and might possibly offer an advanced weaving class in the future.
The group also plans to offer a formline design workshop for skateboards and paddles, and is raising funding for a basketball clinic in June.
ANSA treasurer Carol Snoddy pointed out the cedar bark came from Sealaska Corporation.
"They drug out a couple of cases for us, I was really startled how quickly it happened." she said. "There will be another class probably after a week's time. After that we're going to focus on the basketball camp."
The camp will be hosting "Blessed 2 Bless," a traveling basketball camp that focuses on youth mentoring in addition to on-court skills. The event is slated for June 5 to 8.
Snoddy said ANSA is already near to raising the $8,000 it anticipated needing for the clinic, and now is working on organizing concessions.
"It's all coming together," she said.
The camp, as with the classes, will be open to all comers.
"This is the ANSA's goal," Brock explained. "To have activities for children and adults."
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