Weaving Our World

By Della Cheney

Xaygwaay, (Weaving our World,) There are important ways of life information involved in weaving that are being lost. Acknowledging the work our ancestors left us, to practice weaving and harvesting our resources with respect and mindfulness of ourselves so that, the legacy can continue.

The following describes how our communities take care of each other during our happy and sad times. Tlingit, Haida and Tsimpsians believe it is important to hold up our fathers people to keep balance. The celebrations of life and death have sustained our cultures since time immemorial. This adds the spirit to our art forms.

Our people believe there is a spirit in all things. The practice of form line, the spirit dimension of trees, fish, birds, human beings, mountains, and glaciers are precious Atoow (icons of our spirit world) of the people of this land.that our weaving, carving, drawing, sewing, beadingetc., tell stories of our families.

Haawaa! Gunalcheesh! Thank you to my family, and Alaska Native Fund for helping me complete my book financially and with encouragement.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 26, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543423709

Della Cheney

Haida Formal Introduction Stalth kaa wáas hin uu xat kilhl díi kya’áang. Stalth kaa waa is my Haida name. Della Cheney hin uu yaats’xaatáay kihl díi ky’áang. Della Cheney is my English name. Gaats’aak’áas gúust uu díi kwaláagan. I am of the Eagle family. Tíits git anei Janáa suu díi iijang. I am a Hummingbird woman. Stalth kaa wáas hin uu díi Naan kyáagan. Stalth kaa waas was my grandmother. Guskin hinuu díi chiin kyáagan. Guskin was my grandfather. Neun kwii gei git kíi aa neuns uu díi aaw kyáagan. Neun kwii gei git kii aa neauns was my Mother. Kaa naa heig hin uu díi xaat kyáagan. Kaa naa heigh was my father’s name. Hal Hlaagadáagan. He was Tlingit. Tlingit Introduction Kaats saa waa yoo xaat duwasskw’ Kaats saa waa is my Tlingit name. Yeil naax xat sati. I am of the Raven family. Kaach.adi aya xaat. My family are of the Fresh Water Marked Salmon Tsaqueid.i yadi aya xaat. Child of a Killerwhale Keex Kwaan aya xat. Kake, AK is my home.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 by Della Cheney. 734568

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017908123

ISBN:    Softcover    978-1-5434-2371-6

Hardcover    978-1-5434-2372-3

EBook    978-1-5434-2370-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 05/26/2017

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

Contents

Cultural

Seasons

Harvesting

Processing

Processing Red Cedar Bark

Stories And Patterns

Men’s Tools

Storing Materials And Preparing To Weave

A Living Tradition

Our Weaving Song

Practicing Weaver 1993–Present

Creating Regalia With New Stories

Xaagwaay (Weaving Our World)

Resources Cited

Xayáay Tlagáay

Weaving Our World

Stalth kaa wáas, Della Cheney

page%201.jpg

Raven’s Tail side bag.

Woven by Stalth kaa waas, August 2014. Gifted to Liz Medicine Crow.

Green color gifted to me and dyed with copper by Shaadootlaa Gunaaxoo’Kwaan

Xaygáay Tlagáay (Weaving Our World)

Sdaath k’wáas (Haida)

Kaats saa waa (Tlingit)

Della Cheney

Haida Formal Introduction

Sdaath k’ wáas hin uu díi Naan kyáagan.

Sdaath k’ wáaswas my grandmother.

Guskin hinuu díi chiin kyáagan.

Guskin was my grandfather.

Neun kwii gei git kíi aa neuns uu díi aaw kyáagan.

Neun kwii gei git kii aa neauns was my mother.

Kaa naa heig hin uu díi xaat kyáagan.

Kaa naa heigh was my father’s name.

Hal Hlaagadáagan.

He was Tlingit.

Sdaath k’ wáas hin uu xat kilhl díi kya’áang.

Sdaath k’ wáas is my Haida name.

Della Cheney hin uu yaats’xaatáay kihl díi ky’áang.

Della Cheney is my English name.

Gaats’aak’áas gúust uu díi kwaláagan.

I am of the Eagle family.

Tíits git anee Janáa suu díi iijang.

I am a hummingbird woman.

Tlingit Introduction

Kaats saa waa yoo xaat duwasskw’.

Kaats saa waa is my Tlingit name.

Yeil naax xat sati.

I am of the Raven family.

Kaach.adi aya xaat.

My family is of the Freshwater Marked Salmon.

Tsaqueid.i yadi aya xaat.

Child of a killer whale.

Keex Kwaan aya xat.

Kake, Alaska, is my home.

Weaving is not only an art but a way of life to the Haida and Tlingit peoples of the Northwest Coast, specifically Southeast Alaska and Haida Gwaii, British Columbia.

CULTURAL

Life and seasons in Southeast Alaska has a rhythm, a regularly-repeated sequence of events that has occurred since time immemorial … The seasons, too, have their rhythmic pattern, to which all living things accede (Richard Newton).¹

It is the seasons that bring us the materials we need for weaving, carving, and sewing our way of life with materials and ceremonies that bring life.

Today as I weave and create new regalia, baskets, hats, earrings, necklaces, etc., the techniques I practice are from time before us. The new date of carbon-dated objects, I believe, is in the tens of thousands of years ago.

Our Ancestors have left us a legacy that has been collected throughout the world. It is our way of life. Each art piece, regalia, and our ancestral bones that are in museums of the world are a part of us and our history. These items were created using the resources we harvest during the season: cedar bark, spruce root, mountain goat wool, red and yellow cedar trees, maidenhair fern, grass, and natural dyes and paints. These took time to harvest and process and then create. Items were gifted or made-to-order for a specific purpose and person.

Woven items made from wool, red and yellow cedar bark, and spruce root and decorated with maidenhair fern, grass, feathers, and beautiful animal skins continue our legacy.