Friday, October 8th: Closing ceremonies for the Alaska State Museum’s “Spirit Wraps Around You” exhibit. Interfaith Justice Forum brings police and clergy together. Juneau birdwatchers prepare for Global Big Day.
Large crowd turns out for the final day of the Spirit Wraps Around You exhibit, a once in a lifetime collection of Raven’s Tail and Chilkat weaving (Photo by Rhonda McBride).
It was like a big family reunion – a rare collection of Chilkat weaving, welcomed to the Alaska State Museum in May with dancing and drumming – and departing the same way on Saturday, in a closing ceremony.
Steve Henrikson has been working on bringing this exhibit to the Alaska State Museum for 30 years. He’s standing next to the “Copper’s Robe,” which was bought in 1825 from a Russian Trading Post in California. The robe is on loan from the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. It shows how the colorful Chilkat blankets evolved the from black and white Raven’s Tail style of weaving, which featured black and white geometric forms.
The Coppers Blanket was named for copper shields that are part of the design. They were symbols of wealth. A wooden pattern board with this design has been passed down across the generations in Lani Hotch’s family, one of the earliest weavings with color and curved forms.
A tiny corner of the Coppers Blanket has the old Raven’s Tail weaving style, perhaps a sign left by the weaver that she had worked in both styles of weaving.
Lani Hotch of Klukwan stands beside a robe woven by her great grandmother.
On this Friday’s Juneau Afternoon, one last look at why this exhibit was a watershed moment for Southeast Coastal weavers, how they hope its impact will live on, long after it’s over.
Also:
Juneau Pastors and Police find common ground in an Interfaith Forum on Justice
Why Saturday October 9th is an important day for birders, not just in Juneau, but around the globe.
Listen to all the interviews:
Part 1. Steve Henrikson and Jackie Manning from the Alaska State Museum and weaver Lani Hotch talk about the impact of the Spirit Wraps Around You exhibit on Raven’s Tail and Chilkat weaving, which closes this weekend.
Part 2. Pastor Tari Stage Harvey and Lt. Jeremy Weske from the Juneau Police Department, on the need for police and clergy to build relationships.
Part 3. Brenda Wright from the Juneau Audubon Society explains how “October Big Day” plays an important role in the citizen science movement.
Rhonda McBride hosted Friday’s Juneau Afternoon, which airs at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday on KTOO Juneau 104.3, online at ktoo.org, and repeated at 4:00 p.m. on KRNN 102.7.
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