It begins by separating an arms-length of yarn into two without using scissors. Instead, each hand twists an end of the strand in opposite directions until it comes apart.<\/p>\n
The strands, once separated into piles by color, are then re-twisted together into a stronger braid before being hung on a loom where they will be spun during the next year into two ceremonial Alaska Native robes with distinct heritages and a unifying purpose.<\/p>\n
The first threads of the “Weaving Our Pride” project emerged during a four-hour workshop Friday at the Zach Gordon Youth Center, where project leaders began teaching residents of all ages the first steps of transforming bundles of wool yarn into permanent wearable art pieces.<\/p>\n
The project is seeking to interweave thousands of years of tribal traditions with new thinking among current-day youths, in the form of two LGBTQ+ Youth Pride Robes participants hope will be ready for Celebration next year. The biennial gathering that typically brings thousands of Alaska Native people to Juneau is among Alaska’s largest cultural events.<\/p>\n
“We’re estimating four to six weeks to spin the fiber into what we need to live with,” said Lily Wooshkindein Da.áat Hope, a Tlingit weaver and fiber artist leading a team of mentors planning to spend 15 hours a week working with other participants at the youth center.<\/p>\n
“If there was only the mentors weaving for 15 hours a week we could be done with this sooner. But we know that we’re going to spend some of that time mentoring and supporting other people in teaching and learning,” she said.<\/p>\n
One robe each will be created using Chilkat and Ravenstail techniques — the latter requiring only one-third to one-half as many rows to be weaved — giving both distinctive appearances, Hope said.<\/p>\n
“With a Ravenstail technique, there is space between each row that is being woven,” she said. “So you will see the rainbow color — the vertical bands of rainbow color — coming through the Ravenstail, which means that for every single compact row that we weave on the Chilkat one, we’re only weaving a third of that, or half as many, for the Ravenstail.”<\/p>\n