ROOTED WEAVING: TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND FIBER ARTS

In this class, students will learn about traditional lifeways, culture, traditional ecological knowledge, see samples of traditional foods, medicine and utilitarian plants. There will also be family belongings passed down generations in Stephanie's family, as well as traditional tools. Students will learn multiple traditional weaving techniques, including different starts and rims, and learn proper gathering, processing, cleaning, and storage methods. Students will complete and take home a finished woven basket by the end of the class, made from locally harvested materials like cattail and juncus. Centered on Indigenous ecological wisdom and communal wellness, this offering creates space for reflection and land-based creativity. All are welcome who are committed to learning from the land and honoring the leadership of Indigenous voices.

While students will learn universal weaving techniques used for generations, this class focuses on building a personal connection to the land and materials; Stephanie shares the stories and family belongings of her traditional cultural heritage to provide context, and the specific Tribal styles and shapes remain protected cultural knowledge.

This class is supported in collaboration with Sustainable Northwest, a regional non-profit that brings people, ideas, and innovation together so that nature, local economies, and rural communities can thrive. In 2026, Tarweed Folk School and SNW are facilitating classes that get students into natural landscapes to experience models of sustainable land stewardship, learn to harvest materials responsibly, and bring harvested material back to the classroom to make something useful.