Local Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, Role Models and an Expert Weaver are joining together with students at Cowichan Secondary School to create a lasting memory of the student’s time at the school.
Earlier this year a rather large loom was set up in the library of Cowichan Secondary School. The loom was the start of a blanket weaving project that would see every student in the school weave at least one line into the collective blanket. Unfortunately, the global pandemic had other plans and the project was postponed until recently.
Thankfully the project was able to get back on track a short while ago. Students have been studying with Master Weaver Cheryl Joe to start the long process of weaving the blanket together. Cheryl started weaving with classes in preparation for the larger project. Each student in a class that was involved created their own woven pouch before being invited over to the large blanket project.
While weaving the blanket is a beautiful act in its own right, the process does not start or end there, that’s where Elder John George and his sibling Edna George joined to help. Elder John and his sister Edna came to Cowichan Secondary to teach students how to wash and process raw wool. From washing, rinsing, and air drying, the process turned the dirty drab wool into something that could be processed into the proper material for the blanket project.
The process is just starting and we want to recognize the time and knowledge offered by our Elder, Knowledge Keepers, Role Models and Master Weaver.
