Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival 2024

The Resurgence of Haida Sail Making
The resurgence of traditional Haida sail making speaks to the heart of Haida identity and sovereignty. The act of weaving cedar bark to construct the first traditional Haida cedar sail in over a century is not merely a revival of a lost art but a declaration of the enduring Haida connection to ocean spaces and to the essential role of cedar for the Haida. This project, begun in 2023, is resulting in powerful sharing of utilitarian skills and ancestral knowledge within the Haida Nation and also with indigenous knowledge bearers around the Pacific Rim. This presentation by two eminent Haida weavers provides a look at the evolution and progress of this project that links historical knowledge with vibrant cultural continuity.

Co-Presenter: Evelyn (Kujuuhl) Vanderhoop