"Weavers Keep Tradition Alive"

Chilkat weaving public presentation and demonstration with Donna Cranmer, Suzi Williams, Ann Smith in Clarissa Hudson's studio. January 1995

Three Apprentcies Learn Chilkat
Weaving living with Clarissa Hudson"
by Kate Terry, Pagosa Sun,
The Pagosa SUN Preview, Pagosa Springs, Colorado
February 2, 1995

Clarisa Hudson has a houseful of guests who share her devotion for Chilkat and Ravenstail weavings: Ann Smith of Whitehorse, yukon, Canada; Donna Cranmer of Alert Bay, British Columbia and Suzi Paukner of Sutton, Alaska, who is now a student at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.

They are a part of an indigenous weaver's circle. for three years they have gathered to do things together. Although the cnetral attention is weaving, they say that they are always getting thier fingers in "other pies." Once it was playing with paper and another time playing with felt. All are artists and whatever they brainstorm goes. But, the big thing is weaving.

Last Monday, Clarissa and her husband, Bill, invited local weaversa nd freinds to watch weaving demonstrations of Chilkat and Ravenstail weavings. both are used in articles of clothing worn for ceremonial and special ceremonies: robes, leggings, dance aprons, bags, hats and tunics. The weavings are never for rugs, but not long ago, an alaskan artist drew Chilkat designs and, through a gallery, contracted with Tibetan weavers to make rugs. They are thick, finely woven, agood-looking and expensive. But their value (as all Tibetan rugs do) increase with age.

The Chilkat weaving is the only weaving in the world that can create a perfect circle. It's really a hand-woven tapestry using a 2-strand twining technique with braids. The traditional colors are black, white, yellow and littel turquoise.

Clarissa says "Chilkat weaving reflects the heart of the Northwest Coast Nations. The design encompasses everything that is historical. (The Chilkat is an Alaskan Tlingit clan.)"

This fact was brought home a few years ago when a Chilkat robe settled a land dispute in Haines, Alaska. The history of the owner of the land was woven into the Chilkat robe.

Chilkat weaving is very strong. The wool comes from the mountain goat. Teh strands are inter-twined with thin strips of cedar. The cedar is gathered form the back side of the tree that grows on the hillside and doesn't get th sun. Clarissa tells the story about her friend who (using a knife) loosened an 8-inch horizontal cut at the base of the tree. (Pulled stirps average 20-30 feet.) In this instance, she lost her balance and swung out and around the tree while still hanging on to the bark. Lickily she landed safe on "nice" soil.

Just before coming to Pagosa, the Yukon News featured Ann Smith and the unveiling of her Ravenstail robe called "Grandmother's Time." It had taken Ann (the former chief of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation) more than eight months of constant work to ahand-weave the robe. She is most active in reviving this ancient weaving art, formerly called Northern Geometric Twining.

The article also said that ANn was on her way to visit Calrissa Hudson, an Alaska Tlingit now living in Southern Colorado "to start a Chilkat weaving under Hudson."

Ann had made another Ravenstail robe. She called it "Box Within a Box" (a reference to an old Indian tale). it was in the University of Victoria Museum, on loan from the National Indian Art Collection. In November the robe, along with some of Ann's other weavings, were stolen. But they have been recovered.

The newly-adopted word is spelled Ravenstail and ravens tail, but Suzi Paukner spells it "ravenstale "because each weaving has its own story."

This month Ann will do a stint as "artist in residence" at the famous McMichel Museum located in Klienburg, Ontario, Canada.

What these women want to do is to keep the traditional weaving alive by sharing with their people. They next meet in May, in Canada, to attend Donna's family potlatch, a clan gathering to validate family occasions as weddings and name givings.

The Origin of Chilkat Weaving According to the
People of the Nass River, the Nisga'a

Biography | Resume' | Artist Statement

Clarissa's Calendar 2007

Apprenticeship with Jennie Thlunaut

Demonstrations | Presentations

Classes and Apprenticeships

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or snail mail:

Clarissa Hudson
PO Box 2709 
Pagosa Springs, CO  81147  USA
970-264-2491

Clarissa Hudson
P.O. Box 21453
Juneau, Alaska 99802 USA