Lena
Jumbo
Nuu-chah-nulth Artist
Lena is a member of the Ahousaht Tribe.
Lena has been weaving baskets for most of here life. She is one of the
few weavers today who has the knowledge to still weave the Traditional
Maquinna Hat. This hat was only worn by the men and was named Maquinna
because the Great Chief Maquinna wore this hat.
This was originally a whaler's hat and
was worn by all the whalers in the hunt for the whales. The whales were
towed to the shore and butchered and all the meat was used to feed the
entire tribe. On preparation for the whaling expeditions, the men kept
themselves pure and did not partake in relationships with their wife's
for one year. There was a lot of preparation that the men did before
they went out on these whaling hunts. They prayed to the mighty Creator
for the entire year for success and safety of the entire whaling party.
Lena is fluent in the Nuu-chah-nulth
Language and takes a lot of time to share her knowledge with the younger
generation. She is very active in keeping our culture alive by sharing
her knowledge with those who ask.
Weaver
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