Ravenstail weaving

Ravenstail weaving (yeil koowu),[1] also known as Raven's Tail weaving, is a traditional form of geometric weaving-style practiced by Northwest Coast peoples.[2]

Weaver Teri Rofkar with a Ravenstail ceremonial blanket robe she wove.

History

The practice of Ravenstail and Chilkat weaving originated among the Tsimshian, and was retained by traditional Tlingit and Haida weavers in present-day Alaska.[3] Ravenstail weaving is thought to be a precursor to Chilkat weaving.[2] Ravenstail weaving has sharp, geometric lines and minimal colors; while Chilkat weaving visually looks more natural with curved lines and a larger color palette.[3]

Ravenstail uses a finger-weaving technique called 'twining'.[4] Typically, for Ravenstail pieces, it is created in modern times using black and white (and sometimes yellow) colored merino sheep-wool[5] (sometimes with the traditional slender strands of animal sinew or, a more modern substitute, small amounts of silk)[6] or, when legally available and affordable to the weaver, the original traditional fiber, yarn made from wild mountain goat (oreamnos americanus) wool,[7] to create bold geometric woven patterns.[4] The early examples, ones made before first contact with foreign explorers and traders who introduced sheep's wool to the continent, were constructed from mountain goat-wool yarn.[8] There are not many surviving historical examples, with roughly a dozen Ravenstail robes in North American and European museums.[9]

Revival

After the 1800s, Ravenstail died out of popularity and due to the rise of new weaving innovations and techniques.[10] The Ravenstail weaving technique almost went extinct after 200 years of inactivity.[9][11]

Cheryl Samuel was the first person to replicate Ravenstail weaving for revival purposes, and by the mid-1980s she had obtained permission from several Pacific Northwest indigenous tribes to revive the art to regularly teach classes on the subject.[1] In 1987, Samuel published a book The Raven's Tail: Northern Geometric Style Weaving (University of British Columbia Press). In the 1990s additional research was done to bring back the traditional craft; and museums and cultural centers in the Alaskan cities of Juneau, Ketchikan, and Sitka struggled together to revive the craft by working with both Natives and non-Natives.[9][11] In November 1990, a Ravenstail Weaver's Guild was formed in Ketchikan through the Totem Heritage Center, and served to strengthen craft community between Native and non-Natives in the United States and Canada.[11][1]

In 2021 the exhibition The Spirit Wraps Around You: Northern Northwest Coast Native Textiles, was held at the Alaska State Museum and included Ravenstail weaving while highlighted the oldest known weavings from Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast.[12]

Notable weavers

See also

References
  1. Davis, Mary B. (2014-05-01). Native America in the Twentieth Century: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 1771. ISBN 978-1-135-63861-0.
  2. Neyman, Jenny (March 19, 2016). "Revival of Ravenstail weaving style in good hands". KTOO Public Media.
  3. Soulé, Barbara (2018-06-29). "Weaving a New Narrative - the Interwoven Radiance Exhibition is Celebrated". Native Arts and Cultures Foundation. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  4. Valaskakis, Gail Guthrie; Guimond, Eric; Stout, Madeleine Dion (2011-07-15). Restoring the Balance: First Nations Women, Community, and Culture. Univ. of Manitoba Press. pp. 272, 324. ISBN 978-0-88755-412-4.
  5. OpenLibrary.org. "The raven's tail (1987 edition) | Open Library". Open Library. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  6. OpenLibrary.org. "The raven's tail (1987 edition) | Open Library". Open Library. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  7. OpenLibrary.org. "The raven's tail (1987 edition) | Open Library". Open Library. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  8. Holm, Bill (2017-01-03). Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form, 50th Anniversary Edition. University of Washington Press. pp. XVII. ISBN 978-0-295-99950-0.
  9. Segall, Peter (2021-09-21). "Book celebrates historic Ravenstail robe exhibit at state museum". Juneau Empire. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  10. "Oldest known Native robes return to Alaska for The Spirit Wraps You exhibit at Alaska State Museum". Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  11. Meuli, Jonathan (2013-12-19). Shadow House: Interpretations of Northwest Coast Art. Routledge. p. 391. ISBN 978-1-134-43465-7.
  12. McBride, Rhonda (2021-05-03). ""The Spirit Wraps Around You" at the Alaska State Museum". KTOO. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  13. Haakanson, Sven; Steffian, Amy (2016-11-07). Creative Alaska: A Ten-Year Retrospective of Support for Alaska Artists, 2004-2013. University of Alaska Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-60223-285-3.
  14. "Lily Hope: Tlingit Weaver of Chilkat and Ravenstail". Handwoven. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  15. "Libraries, Archives, Museums: The Spirit Wraps Around You: Northern Northwest Coast Native Textiles: Home". lam.alaska.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  16. Burton, Scott (2016-12-08). "Respected Chilkat and Ravenstail weaver Clarissa Rizal dies at 60". KTOO. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  17. Bunn-Marcuse, Kathryn; Jonaitis, Aldona (2020-05-29). Unsettling Native Art Histories on the Northwest Coast. University of Washington Press. p. 244. ISBN 978-0-295-74714-9.

Further reading
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