From time beyond memory or record an intricate textile art clothed Hmong people. A distinguishing technique is elaborate reverse applique carefully cut into a top layer of cloth sewn back to reveal the layers below. Symmetrical designs have names such as elephant foot, spider web, and snail shell. They identify…
In May of 2001, Joe Potzernitz passed away. He was a master artist who contributed so much to the cultural landscape of California. He is missed by the many who enjoyed and benefited from his work. One of the primary distinguishing features of California saddlery is the decorative floral carving…
In 2006, master artist Holly Hensher taught apprentice Paula Allen to make a Karuk women’s maple bark skirt. Used in tribal ceremonies, Karuk women’s maple bark skirts are made from the innermost layer of bark of the big leaf maple trees found within the Karuk ancestral territories. Hensher began weaving…
Master artist Glenn Moore, Sr. taught his grandson, Glenn Moore, Jr. to make a Yurok hand-carved redwood dugout canoe as part of ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program in 2006. Used in Yurok and Hoopa ceremonies, master and apprentice carved the canoe from an old-growth redwood tree. Glenn Moore Sr. learned to carve canoes…
ACTA is deeply saddened to learn of Luwana Quitiquit’s passing in December of 2011. *** “It’s really important to be able to focus on your basket. If you aren’t in that positive space and you are working on a basket every little mistake that you make is pretty much an…
Iu-Mien Community Services, located in Sacramento, is dedicated to the support and development of healthy Iu-Mien families and communities through culturally responsive programs and services since 1994. With approximately 15,000 Iu-Mien people in the greater Sacramento area, the impetus to start the organization grew from the…
International dance and music
Many Lightnings Legacy Center, Inc. contributes to the development and maintenance of the Native Garden located at the San Joaquin River basin in Fresno. It is a volunteer run organization. Funding from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program in 2016 will provide monthly workshops to immerse future weavers and gatherers…
The beaded collar is adornment worn by Western Mono women. The collar is made from contemporary glass beads. It consists of a wide choker neckband, with a net-like or lacy draped cape. The drape of the collar extends fully over and around the shoulders covering the upper torso front and…
For Indian tribes of Northwestern California the art form of making female regalia, particularly ceremonial dresses was nearly lost. As native people fight against cultural erasure to retain their languages and cultural practices, the art form of regalia making, fortunately, has regained a high frequency of practice in the current…
