As the art of cedar weaving continues to grow in popularity, so does the need for a supply of cedar bark.
Deborah Head of Craig will teach a class in Wrangell to harvest cedar bark sustainably, without harming the trees. The sessions will run Thursday through Saturday, May 9-11.
The all-day class, put on by the Alaska Native Sisterhood, is free to the public and students can attend for one or all three days.
Head is an experienced teacher and great storyteller, said Tis Peterman, and often leads groups on Prince of Wales Island to gather bark.
In just one day of the class, students will go from absolute beginners to knowing how to harvest cedar bark on their own, said Peterman.
Very few people in town know how to harvest their own bark, Peterson said. Also, bark can only be gathered in May when the sap is running and then the bark must be dried for a long period of time. The goal of this class is to increase the knowledge for harvesting in order to keep up with the growing popularity of weaving.
Currently, cedar bark is challenging to get — Sealaska Heritage Institute can supply bark for classes and workshops, but it needs advance notice and doesn’t always have the supply, and buying it gets expensive, Peterson said.
Collecting cedar for weaving, such as hats and baskets, is a time-consuming process because the bark must be hung to dry somewhere with good airflow. Red cedar must be dried for about four months before it can be used for weaving and yellow cedar takes two years, so having a supply takes planning ahead.
The first two and a half weeks of drying the cedar must be checked on regularly to ensure no mold is growing on the bark. If there is mold growing on the cedar, it can be treated with vinegar.
The hope is that Wrangell can build a revolving supply of cedar bark for anyone to use, said Peterman. Hopefully, those who use the bark will repay by helping to harvest next spring.
Supplies for the class are all provided, but participants should wear proper boots or shoes for walking in the woods and should have a vehicle or arrange sharing a vehicle to access the locations where cedar trees are located.
The U.S. Forest Service is helping to identify cedar trees for the class.
The class is free of charge and is open to all members of the community. Reserve a spot in the class by calling Peterman 907-660-7722 or Lovey Brock at 907-660-7054.
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