In the first hour at IslandWood, I heard there was an artist in residence, that she was a weaver, and that my group was not scheduled for a session with her. Very generously, one of the teachers offered to trade groups with me for the afternoon (probably because I looked like I was about to cry with disappointment).
It was such a lovely few hours. In her own words, Melinda West is "growing, gathering, and weaving with plant fibers from the Pacific Northwest."
A few of Melinda's creations that she had on display for the children.
I loved her sweet gentle storytelling way of making connections for the children- creating kinship with her, Salish traditions, and the natural world around us.
We began by stripping a cedar branch and smoothing it with another plant.
While massaging and twisting the branch into a circle, we watched the short film Melinda made about her teacher and neighbor, Suquamish elder and Master Weaver Ed Carriere. (Do go and enjoy the film here.)
Using sweetgrass, we wove a "web" in the circle to hold a clam shell with beads inside, and then, with more sweetgrass or yarn, created another weaving to enclose the shell. (Sorry there are no photos of the children weaving, all hands were needed to guide them through the process.)
They were also able to make beads by hollowing out the centers of twig pieces.
Afterwards, Melinda shared the importance of giving back to the earth and to the future. She guided them through the planting of a Cedar tree, ending with a ceremonial singing of a Cedar thank you song while rattling their clam shell necklaces.
The students loved their creations, wearing them proudly throughout the week. Thank you, Melinda for such a rich and full experience!
