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

History

The practice of Ravenstail and

Chilkat weaving Chilkat weaving is a traditional form of weaving practiced by Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and other Northwest Coast peoples of Alaska and British Columbia. Chilkat blankets are worn by high-ranking tribal members on civic or ceremonial occasions, ...

originated among the

Tsimshian The Tsimshian (; tsi, Ts’msyan or Tsm'syen) are an Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Their communities are mostly in coastal British Columbia in Terrace, British Columbia, Terr ...

, and was retained by traditional

Tlingit The Tlingit ( or ; also spelled Tlinkit) are indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their language is the Tlingit language (natively , pronounced ),

and

Haida Haida may refer to: Places * Haida, an old name for Nový Bor * Haida Gwaii, meaning "Islands of the People", formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands * Haida Islands, a different archipelago near Bella Bella, British Columbia Ships * , a 1 ...

weavers in present-day Alaska. Ravenstail weaving is thought to be a precursor to Chilkat weaving. Ravenstail weaving has sharp, geometric lines and minimal colors; while Chilkat weaving visually looks more natural with curved lines and a larger color palette. Ravenstail uses a weaving technique called 'twining'. Typically it is created using black and white (and sometimes yellow) colored goat-wool yarn, which creates geometric woven patterns. The early examples used

mountain goat The mountain goat (''Oreamnos americanus''), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, is a hoofed mammal endemic to mountainous areas of western North America. A subalpine to alpine species, it is a sure-footed climber commonly seen on cliffs and ...

-wool yarn. There are not many surviving historical examples, with roughly a dozen Ravenstail robes in North American and European museums.

Revival

After the 1800s, Ravenstail died out of popularity and due to the rise of new weaving innovations and techniques. The Ravenstail weaving technique almost went extinct after 200 years of inactivity. Cheryl Samuel was the first person to replicate Ravenstail weaving for revival purposes, and by the mid-1980s she was teaching classes on the subject. 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 The City and Borough of Juneau, more commonly known simply as Juneau ( ; tli, Dzánti K'ihéeni ), is the capital city of the state of Alaska. Located in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle, it is a unified municipality and the se ...

Ketchikan Ketchikan ( ; tli, Kichx̱áan) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic District. With a population at the 202 ...

, and

Sitka russian: Ситка , native_name_lang = tli , settlement_type = Consolidated city-borough , image_skyline = File:Sitka 84 Elev 135.jpg , image_caption = Downtown Sitka in 1984 , image_size ...

struggled together to revive the craft by working with both Natives and non-Natives. In November 1990, a Ravenstail Weaver's Guild was formed in Ketchikan through the

Totem Heritage Center The Totem Heritage Center is a historical and cultural museum founded in 1976 and located in Ketchikan, Alaska. The center is operated by the city of Ketchikan. The location of the Totem Heritage Center was listed on the National Register of Hist ...

, and served to strengthen craft community between Native and non-Natives in the United States and Canada. In 2021 the exhibition ''The Spirit Wraps Around You: Northern Northwest Coast Native Textiles,'' was held at the

Alaska State Museum The Alaska State Museum is a museum in Juneau, Alaska, United States. The museum's collections include cultural materials from the people of the Northwest Coast (Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian), the Athabascan cultures of Interior Alaska, the Inupia ...

and included Ravenstail weaving while highlighted the oldest known weavings from Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast.

Notable weavers

Delores Churchill Delores E. Churchill ( hai, Ilskyaalas) is a Native American artist of Haida descent. She is a weaver of baskets, hats, robes, and other regalia, as well as leading revitalization efforts for Haida, her native language. Background Churchil ...

(Haida) * Lily Hope (Tlingit) * Lani Hotch (Tlingit) * Marie Oldfield (Tsimshian) * Clarissa Rizal (Tlingit) *

Teri Rofkar Teri Rofkar, or Chas' Koowu Tla'a (1956–2016), was a Tlingit weaver and educator from Sitka, Alaska. She specialized in Ravenstail (Raven's Tail) designs and spruce root baskets. Rofkar was born on September 27, 1956 in San Rafael, Californi ...

* Cheryl Samuel (non-Native), the first person to replicate the technique during the revival period. * Ann Smith (Tlingit/Tutchone) * Evelyn Vanderhoop (Haida)

History

Revival

Notable weavers

See also

References

Further reading