Robe by Evelyn Vanderhoop (Haida, Gawaa Git’ans Gitanee of Masett, British Columbia); dress by Lisa Telford (Haida)

Evelyn Vanderhoop viewed a historic naaxiin robe in a museum collection. It included depictions of Qingi, the Sea Being, as ruler of weather, waves and access to sea resources, and she used it as her inspiration. “ … this amazing robe and design made me more aware of how important our ancestors felt the power and continued health of our seas were to our cultural wealth. The stories are ancient but so important to our time when Earth’s water is threatened.”

Lisa Telford’s “PochaHaida” is a twist and commentary on the dress Pocahontas wears in the Disney movie of the same name. It is made of pounded red and yellow cedar bark that Telford gathered and processed herself. Customarily, cedar garments use sea otter fur; in this case, however, Telford opted for a faux fur, for a “commercial Haida woman.” Telford’s work critiques the commercialization of images and stories of Native women and honors the power Pocahontas held in her community.

Best to view in "Original" because other versions resized by Pbase are decidedly unsharp.

Besotted with Sahraa, posted earlier: