Join Cowlitz Nation weaver Judy Bridges and Fort Nisqually interpreter and storyteller Karen Haas for a fun afternoon of weaving with all-natural fibers, including wild reeds. Bridges is a direct descendent of Hudson's Bay Company pioneers. The program is scheduled noon, Saturday, August 5 on the English Camp parade ground. The program is free. A golf cart is available to transport disabled persons to and from the parking area. Call (360) 378-2902 or 378-4409 for additional special access information. Weaving is a common element across many cultures from Eurasia to the Americas, Bridges said. The location of a culture determines the type of creations its members will make.
While white settlers used natural resources in some aspects of their lives, American Indian relied almost entirely on what was at hand, especially the cedar tree, known to them as the “tree of life.”
Cedar served a purpose in all its forms. The bark could be pounded into cotton for clothing. Some American Indians also wrapped their dead in cedar. Bridges began weaving because she wanted to pursue an activity that would reflect her native heritage. To her, weaving can be a spiritual experience. Throughout the basket weaving process, Bridges said, there are times when she feels connected to past basket weavers.
“I feel like I’m a part of the long line of people who have done this,” she said.
