Springtime yellows, sea foam greens and blacks as dark as night: All natural dyes that turned threads, spun from the wool of mountain goats into magnificent blankets and ceremonial robes.
On this Tuesday’s Juneau Afternoon, a chance to unravel some of the mysteries of Chilkat weaving. How did the coastal women of Southeast Alaska create color for their works of art? Some of the plants and natural materials they used for dyes might surprise you.
Also on this program:
- UAS Egan Lecture Series: How Dr. Wendy Smythe draws upon her Haida culture as a scientist.
- The art and science of food preservation, taught by the Southeast Cooperative Extension Service.
Rhonda McBride hosts Tuesday’s program. You can catch Juneau Afternoon Tuesday through Friday at 3:00 p.m. on KTOO Juneau 104.3, online at ktoo.org, and repeated at 4:00 p.m. on KRNN 102.7.
Listen to all of the interviews:
Part 1: Dr. Wendy Smythe on the importance of traditional indigenous knowledge in scientific research.
Part 2. Ellen Carrlee and Lily Hope, from the Chilkat Dye Working Group, talk about how Native weavers used plants and natural materials to dye mountain goat wool for their Chilkat blankets. Carrlee is conservator at the Alaska State Museum and Hope is a weaver and teacher.
Part 3. From Sarah Lewis’ kitchen to your kitchen. Lewis, who is an agent for the Southeast Cooperative Extension Service, is teaching a weekly series of food preservation classes that you can take part in from the comfort of your home.