The Haines ANB/ANS Hall will host a basket-weaving course for interested residents beginning Sunday Nov. 20. The course is taught by master weaver Deborah Head, or Aanutein, who is a lifelong resident of Craig, Alaska. The winner of a 2011 Rasmuson Fellowship Award and a Smithsonian Institution Visiting Artist participant, Aanutein’s cedar-bark weavings are represented in museum collections as well as in private and cultural ownership.
Sponsored by Sealaska Heritage Institute, the course intends to provide an introduction and better understanding of the importance of traditional woven baskets and other woven objects within the local Native cultures. The course will include beginner and intermediate instruction in the preparation and making of a cedar bark basket.
Aanutein sources her raw material from the wild and works with tribal entities and the U.S. Forest Service to establish a baseline of gathering and utilization of old-growth rainforest in an effort to preserve materials for future generations.
“The uniqueness of Alaska geography shapes local style and therefore the artwork. What materials might be available in Southeast may not be available in the interior creating diversity in style simply by the materials being used,” said Aanutein.
Participants in the course will learn how to prepare red and yellow cedar materials and learn terminology associated with weaving. All students will be instructed in how to two-way twine a basket and learn the progressive techniques in preparation and weaving with cedar.
Aanutein also works with youth stewardship for native lands to better ensure our future generations will continue to harvest these natural resources. “Non-exploitation and balance of these things are important not only to me but to those who follow in our footsteps,” said Aanutein.
Applications are available online at the Sealaska website or the Chilkoot Indian Association website. A full course description and schedule is also available on the website. The course begins Nov. 20 and runs through Nov. 29. A full course description and schedule is also available on the website. There is no cost to take part, but spaces are limited and proof of covid vaccination is required.