Ethnobotany: Tlingit's and Dyeing with Plants

Our theme this year is "Ethnobotany and Dyeing with Plants", with the plan to learn more about how several indigenous people groups use plants and natural materials to dye fabric or objects. To contain the scope, the research will be a quick survey of information, rather than a deep investigation. Our first group is the Tlingit people from Southeast Alaska. I was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, and have an affinity for the culture and art of the Tlingit people. I have been privileged to view their dances, story telling, totems, and art in person, and would like to learn more about their use of plants for dyeing.

The Tlingit people live in the Northwest Interior of British Columbia, Canada, and southern Yukon Territory, as well as Southeast Alaska. The two main lineages or moieties are the clans of the Raven and of the Eagle/Wolf. Clan allegiance is governed through a matrilineal system. The parents are required to be from different clans and be opposite moieties. Children are born to the mother's clan and gain their status within her family. Children are born from the father, but he has a lesser role in their rearing than does the mother's brothers.

Ceremonial Robes

Woven robes and aprons play an important role in Tlingit life. They are woven of wool and cedar bark thread, and dyed with native plants or materials. The Chilkat and Ravenstail robes are reserved for sacred ceremonies, where dancers wear them to display the crests of their clans. The Haines Sheldon Museum webpage, "Chilkat Blanket",  provides additional historical and cultural information.

Chilkat weaving pattern (Naaxein sacred robe - a diving whale
with head down and tail up, is featured in the center panel)
Photographed at the Alaska State Museum.

Mountain goat hair and yarn, cedar bark, and dyed yarns for Chilkat blanket weaving

Ravenstail weaving pattern (a traditional form of geometric
weaving-style practiced by Northwest Coast Peoples)

Weaving

Last year we watched Tana Bana Wisdom of the Loom by Maiwa Productions to learn more about weaving techniques in Africa, Laos, Indonesia, and India. See Winter Movie 2024: Wisdom of the Loom. We learned about warp (the long vertical threads) and weft, or woof, (the horizontal selvage-to-selvage threads), and about some weaving variations that add texture and design to the fabric.

From my research into Tlingit Chilkat weaving, I learned that the vertical warp is spun from threads of wool and cedar bark, and is never dyed. Only the horizontal weft threads and the braids or tassels are dyed. Ravenstail weavings do not include bark.

Lily Hope's demonstration videos are so informative, about how the cedar bark thread is prepared, how the wool and cedar bark threads are thigh-spun, and how the weft yarn is dyed. See "Learn More" below for links.

Dye Sources

Original dye sources included plants and materials, such as mud, iron, and copper. Synthetic dyes have also been used over the last 150 years, and dyers have tried unusual sources to produce dyes, such as using Hershey bar wrappers or crepe paper to produce brown. (From my own experience, it is not surprising that Tlingit dyers would be curious, resourceful, and innovative in finding new dye sources)! 

There is also a great interest in researching original, historical dye sources. The Alaska State Museums, Archives & Museums webpage, "A Network or Relationships" (curated by Ellen Carrlee) provides an excellent summary of dye sources used for whites/undyed, black/browns, yellows, and blue/greens. Many of the dye sources are rich with tannins, such as wood, bark, and wolf moss, so mordants are not needed but can be used.

For my own quick reference, the following table provides a summary of some of these dye sources with notes for any additional information.

Tlingit Dye Sources - Southeast Alaska

Color	Dye Source	Notes
Red Dyes	Alder bark	Alder bark mixed with cedar bark also yields red
	Alder wood	Blond wood is desired, but you can mix blond wood and the outer bark.
	Sea-urchin juice
Yellow Dyes	Cedar bark
	Lichen
	Oregon grape root
	Wolf moss	Wolf moss does not grow in the Tongass (on the coast), so was traded from drier regions (inland). It is easy to dry and store, and acts as a natural pesticide. Toxic, especially if cooked with human urine (which speeds up dye extraction).
Blue Dyes	Copper, or synthetic dyes	Ammonia and copper produce blue. Copper and urine produce greenish-blue. Ancient blues may have been produced from chocolate lilies or a local mushroom called the bleeding tooth fungus.
	Salal berries	Produces a dark blue dye.
Brown Dyes	Cedar bark	When boiled with wool
	Western hemlock bark	The blond inner bark is packed with tannins that produce a deep reddish brown when applied to wool. A solution of copper or iron transforms it to black.
	Urine	When boiled with wool
Black Dyes	Charcoal
	Cedar bark	When mixed with metals, like iron or copper, produces a black color that doesn't fade
	Hemlock bark	Long simmer plus long soak time results in a dark brown that is almost black
	Iron material	When soaked with hemlock bark or cherry bark
	Sulfur-spring mud
Gray Dye	Cedar bark	When mixed with iron

Note that nettles are used to dye basket grass green, and blueberries to dye grass a purple/blue (although the color fades quickly).

Summary

That concludes our brief ethnobotany tour of dye sources used to dye wool for the beautiful and sacred Tlingit ceremonial robes and aprons. There is more to learn, and I hope to gather some of the dye sources on my next trip to Southeast Alaska, so I can try dyeing with them myself.

Learn More

• Tlingit clans (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tlingit_clans). Wikipedia. The Tlingit people live in Southeast Alaska, the Northwest Interior of British Columbia, Canada, and southern Yukon Territory. Details about the two main lineages or moieties, and their clans are described.  (Website)

• The Spirit Wraps Around You: Northern Northwest Coast Native Textiles (https://lam.alaska.gov/sway). Alaska State Museums, Archives & Museums. The exhibit traces the history of the sacred textiles known today as “Ravenstail” and “Chilkat” robes. Two dozen robes carry the story of Native weaving among the Tsimshian, Haida, and Tlingit of Alaska and British Columbia, representing both ancient and modern ceremonial robes made by Alaska Natives and First Nations weavers. The robes are reserved for sacred ceremonies, where dancers wear them to display the crests of their clans. See the online exhibit. (Website)

• Chilkat Dye Research: A Network of Relationships (https://lam.alaska.gov/chilkat-dye-research/). Alaska State Museums, Archives & Museums, by Conservator, Ellen Carrlee. Chilkat weavers combine wool, bark, and dye with cultural knowledge to create textile regalia within a network of relationships (families, clans, ancestors, and trade partners as well as animals, plants, and the land). Vertical Chilkat warp is a balance of wool and cedar bark spun together; only the horizontal  weft and braids are dyed. Yarn and dye sources are described. (Website)

• Chilkat Dye Research: Chilkat Dye Working Group (https://lam.alaska.gov/chilkat-dye-research/chilkat-dye-working-group). Alaska State Museums, Archives & Museums. A collaborative group that studies both new and historic materials through hands-on activities and open-ended conversations. Dye analysis is performed at Portland State University with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. (Website)

• Chilkat Weaving Prep: Boiling Cedar Bark with Lily Hope (https://youtu.be/U3V00h4ggf0). Sealaska Heritage Institute, 2021. Lily Hope prepares cedar bark thread. (Video)

• Chilkat Weaving Prep: Spinning Warp with Lily Hope (https://youtu.be/1-anEXR5qvw). Sealaska Heritage Institute, 2021. Lily Hope thigh-spins a warp thread with wool and cedar bark. (Video)

• Chilkat Weaving Prep: Dyeing Weft with Hemlock Bark with Lily Hope (https://youtu.be/pJjT1v_OcY0). Sealaska Heritage Institute, 2021. Lily Hope dyes wool weft with hemlock bark. (Video)

• Chilkat Weaving Prep: Dyeing Weft with Copper with Lily Hope (https://youtu.be/1Kg9rpNGrco). Sealaska Heritage Institute, 2021. Lily Hope dyes wool weft with copper, using alum and ammonia. (Video)

• Chilkat Weaving Prep: Dyeing Weft with Wolf Moss with Lily Hope (https://youtu.be/52Kr3pBx6QE). Sealaska Heritage Institute, 2021. Lily Hope dyes wool weft with wolf moss. (Video)

• Chilkat Dancing-of-the-Robes Ceremony with Lily Hope (https://youtu.be/SoReBAi5fVQ). Sealaska Heritage Institute, live-streamed on Feb 1, 2023. Chilkat weaving and a dancing-of-the-robes ceremony. (Video)

• Chilkat Blanket (https://www.sheldonmuseum.org/vignette/chilkat-blanket/). Haines Sheldon Museum, exhibit. Interesting high-level history of Chilkat blankets. (Website)

• Revision Alaska: Weaving our Identity (https://youtu.be/YUA2j6f7L9E). KTOO 360TV, produced by Paige Sparks in 2023. Indigenous weavers, chemists and Alaska State Museum curators collaborate to research historic and new yarn dyeing techniques. (Video)

• Chemists, curators and Chilkat weavers present findings on historic dye techniques (https://www.ktoo.org/2024/06/12/chemists-curators-and-chilkat-weavers-explore-historic-dye-techniques/). KTOO, by Anna Canny on June 12, 2024. The results of the collaborative study between indigenous weavers, chemists and Alaska State Museum curators. (Article)

Winter Movie 2025: Eye of the Needle

It's that dark time of year again, where the sun sets early and the temperature can be quite cold, especially at night. This year, we've had several weeks of beautiful weather and little rain (worrisome for the dry summer and fall seasons ahead). The sun is welcome but not very warm, so inside projects and activities still have greater appeal. Over the years, one of those indoor activities has been to watch winter movies, typically with plants as the movie stars (we've seen a whole range of movies that fit that criteria). Last year we watched the documentary Tana Bana Wisdom of the Loom, by Maiwa Productions. 

This winter we are watching the documentary Through the Eye of a Needle: Stories from an Indian Desert, also by Maiwa Productions. A login is required (create a free account), and then scroll to the bottom of Free Lessons & Documentaries). This documentary focuses on embroidery and its use to embellish fabric clothing and objects. It is also a success story about an embroidery collective in India, which has benefited women and their communities economically, and has distributed their legacy designs and skills to the world. 

The documentary introduces the Kutch desert in Western India, which is a dry, treeless area where nomadic tribes live and to which people have migrated due to political unrest and natural disasters. Despite the desolate area and harsh conditions, the tribal groups have a rich culture and embroidery is one of their art forms. Embroidered pieces are used as clothing, dowry pieces, gifts to kings, and a type of insurance policy that can be sold in times of hardship. Many of the embroidery artisans are members of the Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan co-operative (KMVS), which is a rural development project designed to connect tribal communities. The tribes work together and collectively set standards of quality, maintain traditions, ensure quality, provide business training, and build confidence in the artisans.  Members vote on the direction the group takes, and share in the profits.

The documentary was made between 2002-2003 and used as part of a museum exhibit at the Vancouver Museum along with beautiful examples of traditional and modern embroidery. I was especially interested to see the intricate embroidery templates used to convey the designs, and the beautiful embroidered pieces produced from the designs. Thanks to KMVS, the artisans produce high-quality results, are encouraged to produce indigenous designs, and are taken seriously and compensated fairly. Additionally, artisans are able to work from home, helping to ensure income despite external hardships, and to pass knowledge to the next generation. KMVS is a testament to the collective power of co-operatives to support artisans and their communities.

Field Notes for January 2025

 Welcome back to year two of Field Notes!

January 1, 2025

Happy New Year! I see this view of San Francisco on my daily walk up the hill, and it reminds me to raise up my eyes periodically to see the bigger picture. It's easy to get caught up in the here-and-now (which is important), but good to pull back from the fray and look for context and meaning.

A new year, and a new view toward the future!

January 3, 2025

My sister spent Christmas with our family in Southeast Alaska, and sent this picture of the Chilkat Range taken from the front porch of our folk's house. The sun and shadow reveal the Chilkat mountains in all their glory! This shot was taken about 12:30 pm local time and the foreground is already in shadow from Douglas Island. I took the same shot from the porch in spring, summer and fall during my recent trip to Alaska (see Three Seasons of Sunsets in Juneau, Alaska). It's nice to have winter now represented, even though it is not technically a sunset. However, the sun sets early in Alaska this time of year, so it soon will be!

Winter not-quite sunset in Juneau, Alaska
(photo by Marianne Van Kessel)

January 6, 2025

"Who-who" is new in the neighborhood? According to the Merlin Bird ID app, it is a great horned owl. I've been hearing its characteristic call on my daily late-afternoon walk, up by the reservoir near the redwood and eucalyptus trees. I haven't seen the bird yet, but its deep call reverberates through the grove of trees. I wonder if it is looking for a new home, has moved into the neighborhood, or is just passing through!

Great horned owl in the neighborhood!

January 9, 2025

It's mushroom season here in the Bay Area. After all the rain in November and December, shrooms are popping up all over the yard. I'm using the iNaturalist app on my phone to identify them, but the results are not definitive. Some appear to be edible, but I'm not planning to harvest any of them to eat. Harvesting them to dry for a future dye project is another matter, especially the orange peel fungus!

 

Clockwise: Boletes spp.
Possibly Poplar Field cap 
Possibly another Boletes
Orange peel fungus (Aleuria aurantia) 

January 12, 2025

I'm enjoying the morning sun on this flower bulb collection from my folks in Alaska. Bulbs are a winter favorite because you can force many of them to bloom indoors, out of season. This collection from White Flower Farm includes Daffodils, Tulips, Hyacinths and Muscari. I'm looking forward to the blossoms, but in the meantime I'm enjoying the fresh green foliage in the winter sun. Thank you, Mom and Dad!

Spring Panache Bulb Garden - a bit of Spring in Winter!

January 15, 2025

I joined another Over-the-Hills Gang group hike in the Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park. The weather was beautiful - cool and crisp, but warm in the sun. Mari (retired colleague and friend) and Josephine and Carol  (friends of Mari, and new friends for me) and I joined the January hike, lead by Anthony Fisher. We had the best time hiking, learning about the hibernating Lady Bugs, and seeing mushrooms, with a group of about 25 walkers. The pace and company was excellent (and Anthony brought ginger and lemon flavored cookies)! Check the website to learn more about upcoming events at Reinhard Redwood.

Hibernating lady bugs in Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park

Clockwise, possibly: Spectacular Rustgill (Gymnopilus junonius)
Hare's foot inkcap (Coprinus lagopus)
Candlesnuff fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon)
Questionable Stropharia (Stropharia ambigua)
Redwood rooter (Caulorhiza umbonata)

January 18, 2025

While hunkered down in the cool, dark, winter months, it is a good opportunity to try some indoor projects. I saw a post about growing green onions from grocery store onion bulbs. Looks interesting, so I'm giving it a try!

Growing green onions from grocery store onion bulbs

January 20, 2025

I finally saw the great horned owl! It was high in a eucalyptus tree up by the reservoir. A small crowd of dog walkers had paused to watch him (we've all been hearing the "Who-who" call over the last few weeks). Dakota the Husky waited patiently as I snapped a picture and tried out my "who-who" bird call. The owl was really high up in the tree, so it is difficult to see details.

Great horned owl - high in a tree around sunset

January 22, 2025

Our Bird Buddy feeder has been a very popular place this time of year. We get many of our local visitors, such as oak titmouse, dark-eyed junco,  and red house finch (male and female), but I was surprised to see this mourning dove in the feeder! A group of five or six mourning doves typically forages together on the ground below the feeder. Possibly not enough seed had fallen to the ground, so one of them flew up to spread some seed. (I have seen some species select the seeds they like and shove the unwanted seeds over the side)!

Mourning dove in the bird feeder

January 29, 2025

January has been so beautiful - cold, clear, and sunny on most days. Thankfully rain is forecast over the weekend (we need it to combat the dry season ahead). I've been enjoying long walks with my husband and Dakota the Husky, hikes with the Over-the-Hills Gang, and inside activities like books, puzzles, movies and trying new recipes. I've been harvesting green onions from my kitchen window sill for salads. And, I have been waiting for a crop of cherry tomatoes to ripen on a self-seeded tomato plant in the front planter - IN JANUARY!

Clockwise: the desktop bulb garden from Mom and Dad brings so much joy
Perpetual green onion farm on the window sill, from grocery store onion bulbs
Self-seeded cherry tomatoes are ripening in January
A hearty chicken and "wet noodle" dumplings stew cooked by our son (yum!)
Idyll Scandinavia puzzle (Ravensburger)

Winter Outing

After all the fun of the holidays, it's time to get "back" in shape. What could be better than taking a long walk on a sunny day in an interesting park that is filled with trees, shrubs, and tombstones? On this January day, we're going back to the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. The cemetery is a beautiful place that has a long history and fantastic views of the Bay Area.

Brotherly Love

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks

There is always something new to discover at the cemetery. On this day we came across a magnificent bronze elk statue perched on top of a tumulus in Plot 32. The site is an "Elks' Rest" burial place for deceased lodge members (similar sites are located around the country). The monument was established by Lodge #171, and unveiled and dedicated in 1896 (see Where Elks May Sleep in Peace).

View towards Millionaire Road

Tombstones are always fascinating, for both their styles and the stories they tell about the deceased. This gravestone for William H. Lessels caught my eye. It looks like it was broken at some point, and then repaired. The tombstone is a little difficult to read in places, but it looks like Lessels was a midshipman of a British Duke class ship, who died August 21, 1876 at the age of 18. He drowned near Sunderland, England and the officers and crew of his ship paid tribute to their deceased colleague.

I did a quick internet search of the Lessels family and found Brief Life History of Allen Henderson (Lessels). William Henry Lessels is listed as the second child (1858-1876) of Allan and Jane Lessels. However, the family seemed to be firmly settled in England and Scotland, with no mention of anyone migrating to the Bay Area. I am curious how his grave marker ended up at the Mountain View Cemetery - a family history mystery!

Tribute to William H. Lessels, midshipman

We also discovered a graffiti tribute to a deceased 21-year old (1995-2016), painted on a concrete retaining wall nearby. Two young lives in two different eras, snuffed out too early, both with friends, family, and colleagues to honor them.

Tribute to Tonio, brother

Our outing was a success - we got some exercise in a beautiful location, and made several interesting discoveries.

Ethnobotany and Dyeing with Plants

Our theme for Eden By The Bay this year is "Ethnobotany and Dyeing with Plants". According to an AI Overview:

Ethnobotany is the study of how people use plants in different cultures, regions, and time periods. It involves the study of the relationship between people and plants, including how plants are used for food, medicine, shelter, and more.

Since ethnobotany is such a broad topic, I plan to focus on the plants used for dyeing or decorating (part of the and more category cited above). I also plan to further narrow the focus to three specific people groups—Tlingit and Chimmesyan/Tsimshian (Alaska coast and Canada interior), Ohlone/Costanoan (Northern California), and Polynesian/Pacific Islander (Hawaii). That is still a pretty big swath, so my exploration will be at the survey level. I'm really looking forward to learning more about dye sources used by these people groups.

Dye Sources, clockwise: White Alder (photo by Mitch Barrie)
Wolf Lichen (photo by Jason Hollinger)
Blueberries
Hibiscus (photo by Tim1357)

How did I make my choices? I was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, and have an affinity for the culture and art of the Tlingit people. I have been privileged to view their dances, story telling, totems, and art in person, and would like to learn more about their use of plants for dyeing. I'd also like to learn more about the Ohlone people, who have thrived in the Bay Area of Northern California for thousands of years, and about their use of plants for dyeing or embellishing. And finally, since Hawaii is one of our future trip destinations, I'd like to learn more about the beautiful island paradise, how it came to be populated by Polynesian seafarers thousands of years ago, and the plants they used or brought for dyeing. As always, I hope you'll join me on this quest!

Looking Ahead to 2025

Happy New Year! I love looking ahead to a new year. There is so much potential一possibilities for exploring, travelling, creating, and enjoying friends, family, and life. Really, any new day offers a fresh start, but a new year gets me thinking about what's important, what I don't need any more, and what I'd like to do or learn in the next 365 days. I find that to be a better approach than making a list of new year's resolutions, which are typically cast aside after a week or so!

This year my theme for Eden By the Bay is "Ethnobotany". My focus over the years has been on the plant hunters of the past who discovered plants from all over the world and looked for economic uses for them. This year I'd like to focus on plants that indigenous people were already using when they were "discovered"!

Clockwise: Hawaii's state flower - photo by Conrado
Ethnobotany and dyeing with plants
Observing local flora and fauna
Enjoying the landscape in all seasons

Looking ahead, I'm researching trip ideas for the coming years. My husband and I love to travel, and to learn about the history, flora and fauna, natural history, and gardens of our destinations. A few candidates on our radar include Hawaii, upstate New York, Four Corners Monument, and Mesa Verde National Park. We also plan on more visits to Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, as well as "long weekends" anywhere in California. Travel enriches our lives and makes us more appreciative of what we have at home! 

While that's brewing, we'll continue some of our favorite pursuits like tending and enjoying our new landscape (I'm currently learning what tasks are required for each month and season), visiting beautiful gardens and landscapes, and delving into the seasons, weather, and critters we encounter. There are books to read, movies to see, seeds to plant, floral arrangements to create, projects to accomplish, fabric to dye, and new ideas to try. At the heart of it all though, are the people, loved ones, and Huskies that travel along on that journey!