An innovative Charter school is reintroducing old cultural skills to local students on Weno, capital of the most populous state in the Federated States of Micronesia. A distinctive form of backstrap loom weaving was once ubiquitous across the Caroline Islands, today’s Federated States of Micronesia. Now the intricate work of crafting these textiles endures only … Continue reading Charter School in Chuuk Aims to Revive Loom Weaving
Micronesian Looms: Weaving Connections in the US (3)
This is the third in a series of posts dealing with Weaving Connections, a project of Habele to sustain and preserve Micronesian backstrap weaving traditions among Island populations who’ve migrated to the United States mainland. More here Development of Initial Prototypes First, Habele fabricated a scale model, and then a full-size initial specimen, of a … Continue reading Micronesian Looms: Weaving Connections in the US (3)
Micronesian Looms: Weaving Connections in the US (1)
This is the first in a series of posts dealing with Weaving Connections, a project of Habele to sustain and preserve Micronesian backstrap weaving traditions among Island populations who’ve migrated to the United States mainland. More here Framing the Problem Though loom weaving of skirts is central to daily life in the Caroline Islands, few … Continue reading Micronesian Looms: Weaving Connections in the US (1)
“Weaving Connections” supports Micronesian Weavers in US Mainland
Beautiful loom-woven textiles of Micronesia display an artistry and technical virtuosity unrivaled elsewhere in the Pacific. Chief among them is the lavalava, a woven skirt from the Outer Islands of Yap State, situated in the Western Caroline Islands. A new website aims to ensure this important cultural skill is preserved among weavers who have moved … Continue reading “Weaving Connections” supports Micronesian Weavers in US Mainland