Folk Arts - Master Artist - Sophie George

Sophie George. Photo by Fritz Dent.

It took native bead artist Sophie George three months to make her most recent Yakama traditional wedding veil; collecting materials for it took her a lifetime. A traditional ceremonial headdress or wedding veil is an intricate veil a woman wears when married. Sophie George is Of Wenatchi-pum/ Wasco/ Cowlitz ancestry. Sophie learned traditional beadwork and wedding veil making through her mother and grandmother. George was born at Celilo Falls, near The Dalles, Oregon. Her beadwork and basketry have been exhibited across the country and have earned numerous honors including a 1998 NEA National Heritage Fellowship.

Each component of the veil, from the coins and beads that dangle from it to the prayers and songs offered while making it, hold significance. Long, tooth like dentalium shells, traditionally used for food and currency, symbolize the bride’s efficiency in using available material. The Chinese coins, acquired by trading, remind the bearer to practice frugality in the home; thimbles encourage her to sew skillfully; and the bells signify attentiveness. To insure the unity of the couple to be married, a single thread of sinew, taken from the back muscles of deer, elk, or bison, joins each section. When making the veil, the artist prays and sings in thanks for the material, making a spiritual and physical contribution to the garment. Traditionally, the art of making wedding veils is only passed on when the apprentice is ready.

As a recipient of a 1998 Apprenticeship grant, George taught her daughter, Alta Hunt, to create and bead traditional Yakama wedding veils. Alta Hunt has been crafting beadwork all her life. She learned from her mother, who also learned from her mother, creating a family tradition.