William White: My Ancestors are still Dancing
"Being a weaver is the most important aspect of my life. It defines who and what I am… My work has given me an understanding of the importance of becoming the best one can be."I am a Chilkat weaver.
I come from a village called Lax-kw-alaams in northern British Columbia. My people have lived there for 10,000 years. We continue to practice our culture as it was set forth by our ancestors. As a Tsimshian artist, I feel it is important to be more than a weaver of robes.I need to smoke fish and to gather seaweed and to prepare all of the other food that is given to us by the Creator. By doing these types of things my culture lives on through me. My nieces and nephews to better understand what it means to be Tsimshian. I believe our children live their lives with us without knowing that they are being taught their culture.I started weaving basketry in 1982, to pass the evening hours at my family’s seaweed camp. Since then, I have traveled extensively, studying weavings in private and museum collections. I have learned from experimentation and also from structured lessons, both public and private.Chilkat weaving is now my focus. Although Chilkat weaving originated amongst the Tsimshian people, I am the only Tsimshian artist currently working in this style. I have to credit the Tlingit people with keeping this art form alive.
Exhibit Panorama

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