Clarke Historical Museum
  • Home
    • About the Clarke >
      • Work at the Clarke!
      • Staff & Board
    • How to find us
    • Sustainability
  • Exhibits
    • Nealis Hall >
      • Native Plant Garden
      • When Designs Escaped Baskets >
        • How Trade Changed Designs
        • New Materials new designs
        • Highlighted Designs
      • Women's Ceremonial Dresses: From Long Ago to Today >
        • Old Ways of Making
        • New Ways of Making, New Materials, Same Tradition
        • Current Dressmaking
        • Regalia Leaves the Museum
        • How to Wear a Dress: Photo Documentation of Regalia
      • Hover Collection
      • Mini-Exhibits
      • About Nealis Hall
    • Opera Alley: The Sun Set Twice on the People That Day
    • Victorian Room
    • Online Exhibits
    • Past Exhibits >
      • Opera Alley Exhibit >
        • Past Opera Alley Photo Exhibits
      • Focus On Fiber Special Exhibits
      • Immigration, Expulsion, Homecoming
    • WWII Memorial Exhibit at the Humboldt County Airport
  • Events
    • Pumpkin Entries
    • Wild Teas
  • Support
    • Dogs of Old Town Calendar
    • Admission Donations
    • Membership
    • Volunteer
    • Donations
    • Sponsorships
    • Internships
  • Blog
  • Education
    • Virtual Programs
    • TikTok Videos
    • Teacher Resources
    • Additional Resources
    • Research >
      • Humboldt History
      • Local History Links
  • NCMA
  • Tours
    • Chinatown Walking Tours
    • School Tours >
      • Untitled

Newest Community Loan for Women's Ceremonial Dresses: Long Ago to Today

4/28/2019

0 Comments

 
This week, we'll be hearing from Nealis Hall Curator and Registrar Brittany Britton on a dress being loaned to the museum for our display on women's ceremonial dresses.
PictureLeona Wilkinson and Cheryl Seidner, Wiyot tribal members, and participants in the Wiyot Women's Group who assisted in making the Wiyot dress dropping off the loan.
As a part of the Women’s Ceremonial Dresses: Long Ago to Today, our goal was to ground the exhibit with the historic dresses from the collection ranging from the late 1800’s to the 1960s, and cycle through a rotating selection of community loans of contemporary counterparts. This tradition of making and ceremony is an unbroken path of resilience and adaptation to new materials and ways of making. For the newest dress loaned to the museum we are pleased to have on display a dress made by and for the Wiyot tribe in 2006.
This dress was made over the course of two years from 2004 to 2006 for Michelle Hernandez, a Wiyot Tribal member, as a part of a journey for the Wiyot Tribe of seeking, finding and completing a coming of age ceremony that hadn’t been done in decades. This dress is a small part of that ceremony and journey; it was lovingly made by community members and Michelle’s family for her coming of age ceremony. The Wiyot Tribe generously loaned this dress for the spring for this Women’s Ceremonial Dress exhibit. This dress is a connecting point of a revival of ceremony, of making and coming together as a tribal community. The dress here more than a finished project, it is made of deerskin, shells, beads and represents hours of prayer and artistry. 

PictureThe Wiyot Tribe's dress on display at the Clarke Museum
​"Upon moving to the Table Bluff Rancheria from Sacramento Valley, Michelle Hernandez asked a simple question: How did the tribe celebrate a girl’s passage into womanhood? The answer to that question began the quest to bring back traditional practices. Recreating a ceremony that hadn’t been celebrated in over 150 years required many people, many hours of research and work, and the long term commitment of tribal participants. The Wiyot Women’s group created the dance dress, and the Wiyot men’s camp learned songs and dances that haven’t been performed in over a century. Other local tribes also brought skills and knowledge to the ceremony. Many helped in the process – local artist and Karuk/Yurok/Hupa tribal member Lyn Risling brought her personal research and experience to the ceremony; the Bureau of Land Management provided access to the south spit site; the Hernandez family learned the strict protocols to follow; tribal staff spent hours removing invasive vegetation to create the dance area." (From Rebirth Into Womanhood: A Coming of Age Journey, presentation by Wiyot Tribe)

The materials are more on the traditional side being made of deerskin, clamshells, pinenuts, abalone, Beargrass wrappings and minimal glass beads. The materials and design of the dress is from the Wiyot Women’s group that assisted Michelle and her family in creating this dress alongside a bark skirt that was worn for the coming of age ceremony. The dress was ultimately donated to the Wiyot Tribe for safekeeping and so it would be danced again.
​

Come visit the Clarke Historical Museum to see this dress in person, and the narrative of the story of this dress as representation of the continuing journey for ceremony for the Wiyot Tribe.
0 Comments

Happy National Photography Month!

4/24/2019

0 Comments

 

Did you know...

May is National Photography Month! We'll be highlighting the Clarke Photo Collection in this month's posts.
The Clarke has around 10,000 photos in the collections, which is about 17% of the total collection. The photos span from the earliest days of the county to the present and include a wide variety of subjects. They're some of my favorite items to work with because they can tell so many stories and illustrate change in the community- and the sometimes surprising continuity over time.
This month, we'll be taking a closer look at our photo collection-what's in it? What does it look like? We'll also be checking out ongoing work happening with the collections including our scanning project and research being done by members of the community to better understand one of the photographers who appears in our collection. We'll also highlight a new photography exhibit opening at May's Arts Alive in the Victorian Room!
0 Comments

The Clarke Goes on a Field Trip: Basket Weavers Gathering at Happy Camp

4/18/2019

0 Comments

 
This week, we hear from the Clarke's Education and Interpretation Committee that attended the yearly Basket Weaver's gathering in Happy Camp. The trip was part of a series of trips the committee is making to reach out and connect with tribes and communities that are stakeholders in the work being done at the Clarke.
Picture
Picture
Wilverna Reese peeling willow sticks
We were able to meet with members of the Karuk Tribe’s People’s Center Advisory Committee.  The People’s Center is the Tribal museum and Gift shop.  We were able to make inroads on cultural exchange ideas such as exchanging exhibit pieces (as permitted by our policies) and sharing photos and documents from a digital perspective in cases where original pieces cannot travel.  We also discussed their digital library and the possibility of digitizing videos, CDs, etc. through cooperation with the Karuk Tribe.  We look forward to collaborating with our tribal partners.
At registration, we had some time to talk with Denna Dodds whose basketry work is currently on display at the Clarke. The weekend’s festivities then began with an opening prayer before a potluck dinner.  It was sung beautifully by Jamie Peters, a Karuk tribal member.  Dinner was followed by a night of Bingo fun, then everyone headed to their accommodations to rest up for Saturday.  
Picture
Shirley Laos holding a willow stick with buds on it
Saturday we all gathered for breakfast.  It was interesting to hear all the different weavers discuss their current projects.  After breakfast, we headed out to the nearby gathering grounds for willow sticks. We learned how to choose the correctly sized sticks for the project that Shirley Laos, CHM Board President, would need for her current project.  While finding and clipping off sticks from trees sounds easy, it’s not as easy as you might think. 
First, Willow grows in marshy grounds with lots of furrows. Some of the best sticks come from trees that may be more difficult to reach.  We learned about the stage of budding that the tree should be in for the straightest, easiest to peel, and smoothest sticks. Once a tree is identified, you may have to bend down a branch to reach the sticks needed. Many women tuck the branch under one arm and cut with the other hand.  The cut branches are put in a bag or bucket. 

Once you have the sticks you need, it’s time to peel them. Small sticks just beginning to bud are easier. Some have already begun to leaf out; those are more difficult to peel the bark from and may require smoothing with a tool or thumbnail.  If you can’t peel them right away, the stick should have their base in a few inches of water until you can get to them. Once the peeled sticks dry out, they can be stored for later use.
Picture
Shirley walks out to the gathering area.
We had a great learning experience to share with visitors to the Clarke, and we made some new friends along the way.
Thank you to Lynn Sturgis for writing this article, and Shirley Laos and Dina Fernandez for editing. Photos by Lynn Sturgis.
0 Comments

Life at the Clarke: Volunteers!

4/12/2019

1 Comment

 

“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.” — Unknown

Volunteers play a huge role in day-to day museum operations and are very important to the long term operation of the Museum. In celebration of April as National Volunteer Month, I'd highlight some of our fabulous volunteers and the work they do here.

Docents

If you've been by  the museum, you've likely seen many of these folks as they staff the Nealis Hall desk. They answer questions, ring up purchases, and serve as the front-line greeters. Some have been volunteering at the museum for years, while others are new to volunteering. Most docents volunteer once or twice a week for a few hours and staff the Nealis Hall desk. Some of our greeters are also helping with museum projects such as scanning photos
Picture
Leslie Reicke, who has been volunteering at the Nealis Hall desk for around 15 years, gives a short overview of Nealis Hall to a visiting group.

Tour Guides

Tour Guides are individuals who sign up to help lead school tours of the museum. Hundreds of local kids around Humboldt County visit the Clarke Museum every year to supplement their classroom learning. Docents usually lead tours of either the main hall or Nealis Hall, and at least two docents are needed for each class of kids who visit the museum. We are always looking for more docents to help out with tours. Introductory and ongoing training for leading tours is provided free of charge by the museum. Contact us if you are interested in leading tours as there is a high demand for school tour docents every fall and spring here at the museum.
Picture
Volunteer Lynn leading a school tour in Nealis Hall

Interns

Each semester, we bring in a couple of interns to help with a variety of ongoing projects in the museum. Intern projects have included improving our WWII memorial webpage, building a mini digital exhibit on early 1900s women's hats, and scanning the photo collections into formats for researchers and use within the museum. Intern projects vary from year to year and each intern project is designed with the intern's interests and goals in mind.
Picture
Intern Sasha while she was helping with a new exhibit opening at the Museum.

Collections Volunteers

Want to help in the museum but are more interested in the behind the scenes work? We have volunteers who work organizing the archives, digitizing museum items, updating labels and records, documenting new donations, putting things away, helping with setting up and taking down exhibits, and researching items in the collections. If you have an interest in organizing or researching, this is the project for you!
Picture
Intern and collections volunteer Shawna finishes rolling up a quilt headed to storage.

How did our volunteers get their start here?

Shirley Laos

Picture
Shirley and Isobel during a weaving demonstration with Denna Dodds
Shirley first got involved at the Clarke when she became a Board member in 2017. Since then, she's jumped into being one of our most diverse volunteers. She works with a number of committees on the Board as board president, helps with school tours and events, and leads workshops during Arts Alive oftentimes with the help of her granddaughter and Junior Docent Isobel. Her favorite part of volunteering at the Clarke is being able to participate in inter-cultural interactions that take place in Nealis Hall through the workshops she hosts and sharing her cultural and traditional knowledge with the visiting public and her granddaughter

Kelly Fortner: Volunteering at the Clarke in her own words

Picture
I began volunteering at the Clarke Historical Museum in July of 2018 and I have been working on a project to catalog and relabel the museum’s rock and mineral collection. I found out about the opportunity during the opening of The Redwoods Provide(d) exhibit and through Katie Buesch, who is the Registrar-Curator for the Main Hall Collections. I also know Katie through the Religious Studies major at HSU—she is a wonderful volunteer supervisor and friend!

This has been my first experience volunteering in a museum setting and I absolutely love it! The staff and other volunteers at the museum are super kind and welcoming and it is really interesting to learn a bit about the museum’s collections and about some of the local area’s history. Also, working with the rocks and minerals provides an experience that is special to me, because I also majored in Geology at HSU and I feel that there is so much we can learn through studying rocks. Rocks carry with them a story that tells of their journey from their formation to how they traveled to the surface of the Earth and into our hands. And through the study of rocks (petrology), I have learned a bit about how to interpret and convey these stories. From my perspective, I would say that stories are inherent to the way that we, as humans, understand and interact with the world. I think it is incredibly valuable to have a place like the Clarke Historical Museum in our area to facilitate the sharing of various stories from the past and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to volunteer there!

Volunteering at the museum is a great way to gain new skills, give back to the community, learn more about our area's fascinating history, and meet other people interested in similar activities.
Picture
Former board president Gene Brundin inspecting recently danced Jump Dance headdresses (Yurok: Plegokw, Karuk: páathkir / pathkir, Wiyot: duraga'w, Hupa: me:wi-na:sita:n) with Gary Markussen Jr.

Right now, we are most in need of additional tour guides to help with upcoming school tours. See the flyer below and feel free to contact us if you are interested in training.

Picture

Never worked in a museum before? No need to fear-we offer all initial volunteer training and ongoing training for free. Join our newsletter to hear about upcoming training opportunities or become a member to help support our volunteer program! You can also visit our Volunteer page to learn more.

1 Comment

New and Old Baskets at the Clarke!

4/5/2019

0 Comments

 
PictureTwined utility basket, unknown Hupa weaver, early 1900's, Clarke Collection.
The Native American collections at the Clarke are more than a beautiful collection to view while visiting. We have hosted weavers and regalia makers over the years to go through the collections to gain insight on ways of making and inspiration for the creation or repair of newer basketry and regalia items.

Denna Dodds, a Karuk tribal member and 2014 & 2017 recipient of the Victor Thomas Jacoby Award, visited the Clarke Collections in the Fall of 2018 to assist with finishing a large open weave utility basket with handles.

Picture
She was excited to look at handles on larger storage baskets, as well as other connection points such as handles on baby baskets and other pack baskets. Denna was looking at how the handles were wrapped, how they connected to the structure of the basket. There is no right or wrong way for basket handles to connect, some are made up of the hazel sticks that made the body and curl back down to meet the rim of the basket. Others are woven separately and connected when the rim is wrapped in spruce root. 
She chose a synthesis of different handles that were pulled from storage to examine in the end. Resulting in this beautifully woven hazel and spruce root handled utility basket. Denna generously chose to loan us her set of newly made baskets including an open weave tray and spoon basket.

Her baskets are displayed alongside a selection of other utilitarian baskets that were used to research handles. What is most striking is the brightness of the newly harvested and woven hazel sticks on Denna's basket compared to another handled utility basket from before 1900. 
 
We are honored to be able to show Denna's new baskets  alongside the older ones from the collection showcasing an unbroken tradition of weaving here in Humboldt County. 
Picture
Storage Basket woven by Denna Dodds (Karuk), 2018, photo courtesy of Denna Dodds
Denna Dodds and Theresa Surbaugh will be doing a weaving demonstration and answering questions all through Arts Alive. Come join us Saturday April 6th 6pm-9pm at the Clarke!
0 Comments

    About

    Keep up with the Clarke through our Blog!
    Posts are sent out once a month with our monthly newsletter, but they post here throughout the month so check back each week for something new!

    ​Posts created by Katie Buesch, Interim Director-Curator unless otherwise noted.

      Subscribe to our newsletter!

    Subscribe to Newsletter

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2022
    November 2021
    October 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018

Clarke Historical Museum
240 E Street ~ Eureka, California 95501
admin@clarkemuseum.org
(707) 443-1947
​
Copyright © 2018. All Rights Reserved.