Ravenstail

RAVENSTAIL WEAVING



Ravenstail weaving predates the Chilkat weaving by about 400 years, and for almost 200 years there were no known weavers. We say no known weavers because no one went to all the remote villages and asked, “Do you weave, and did your Mother or Grandmother weave the Ravenstail?” The natural progression of weaving was from the Cedar bark and spruce root weaving into the Ravenstail then the Chilkat weaving. The basket and Ravenstail weaving was all in the hands of the woman; she had full control of the designs. When the Chilkat weaving came about the men became involved. A Master carver would carve or paint a pattern board the size of the robe; the pattern would only be on one half of the board and the weaver had to create a mirrored image on the other half of the weaving. If the carver was a generous man he would create templates of the ovoids so the weaver could make sure her sizes were correct. The Ravenstail warp was originally from the Mountai...