Originally broadcast in Season One of the Deep Roots Initiative, Cortes Radio, CKTZ, 89.5 FM

By tracing the history and stories behind two hats, Tara Warkentin discovers a rich tapestry of practical and symbolic significance found in this ancient art.

Two hats woven from the same towering West Coast Trees. That cedar, woven over and under in the same stitches. Two hats, made more than a century apart.

“My dinner table was pretty much my studio. we might clear off enough space where we might put our plate down and have dinner, and then we clear the table of dishes and it is right back to weaving. I have an open door policy so if a person is brave enough to come out and harvest with me in the Spring then the door is open for them in late September to start weaving classes every Wednesday evening and every Sunday from noon until when we cannot weave anymore…”

Top photo credit: Cedar weaving workshop with Amy Robertson in Vancouver at The Craft Lab, Where I recorded field recordings for Secrets of the Cedar Weavers – Tara Warkentin