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.
 |  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.
 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.
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.
RSS Feed