Folk Arts - Master Artist - Virginia Adams

Virginia (seq.hablu) Adams is a member of the Suquamish Tribe and is an accomplished Salish weaver. She learned to weave in the Salish style primarily through the teachings of Bruce subiyay Miller and Margaret Dean. Virginia was taught traditional methods of gathering, preparing, pounding, shredding, and weaving cedar bark weft on wool warp. The warp are the lengthwise strings, which are attached to a loom, with the weft being the material that is woven into the warp to create fabric.

The traditional attire of the Salish People was made of cedar-bark and woven with the same techniques Virginia learned through Miller and Dean. Today cedar-bark clothing is worn mostly as regalia at such traditional events as potlatches and the Coastal Canoe gatherings.

Salish weaving techniques were nearly lost a generation ago. The custom of passing information from one individual to another has been an important tool in preserving Salish weaving as a Suquamish Tribe traditional art form. Virginia Adams continues the practice of passing down Salish art forms by teaching others cedar-bark weaving.

As a recipient of a 2005-2006 Apprenticeship grant through the Washington State Arts Commission, Virginia taught Shayna Spring Bagley Salish cedar-bark weaving.

Shayna is actively a part of the Northwest Salish community, participating in Tribal Canoe Journeys for several years. In the 2006 Tribal Canoe Journey the Suquamish Canoe family wore Shayana’s traditional Salish cedar-bark capes and skirts as regalia.

Bagley has continued and expanded her traditional Suquamish education by taking classes in the lushootseed language for several years. In 2003-2004 she was selected as the Chief Seattle Days Princess. Shayna intends to continue the custom of passing cultural information from one individual to another by sharing her knowledge with “anyone who feels that they are ready to learn.”