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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 2000)
Smoke Signals 10 Beading bottles: Carrying on a family tradition By Linda Murphy My name Linda Murphy. I'm a nurse and a mother of five. My hus band and I currently live in Sequim, WA., on the Olympic Peninsula. We have lived throughout the United States including: California, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, and New Hampshire. My parents are Wilbur and Sally Haller. My paternal grandmother - .... - 5 . i 'f . Linda, picking blackberries during the A-KA-Lat Celebration near La Push, Washington. was tribal Elder Adeline Haller. I was introduced to beading as a child receiving my first loom, at the age of nine, as a gift from my mother. As a young adult, my uncle Don Haller taught me the traditional art form of beading bottles. He taught a lot of young people in my family, and ignited a spark in us about our culture and traditions. He should be credited with influencing us to con tinue the.beading tradition. Don is a master beader, having cre ated many exceptional well designed bottles. Unfortunately only a couple examples still remain in the family. I adhere to the basic principles he taught me, such as using only bottles 100 years old or older and always leaving an error in the pattern. (This was traditionally thought to allow the spirit to escape) Although I knew several tribal members who beaded bottles 25 years ago, the only other people who I'm aware of who bead bottles at this time are my cousins, Loretta Knight and Laura Gleason. They are both talented. Loretta has studied several different beading techniques and makes a variety of beaded items. It would be nice to hear from anyone who does practice this art form. I have studied elements of Native astal design with Quillute Artisan, Phil Ward Jr., and although I have taken art courses in high school and college over the years, I have only pursued art as a personal outlet of expression. The particular style I have devel oped incorporates elements of design common to several traditional Native American bead patterns along with the realistic depiction of some objects in nature. Each of my bottles bares my sig nature in the form of a six-bead cross. My smaller bottles have one cross either hidden in the pattern or the neck of the bottle. The larger bottles always have two crosses beaded mid way down the sides of the bottle, and positioned on opposite sides. This is symbolic of my personal acknowledg ment that God is the author of my talent and that my ability is a gift by him. The traditional craft of "Bottle Beading" originated at about the time of the great Western Migration. Settlers discarded their empty bottles as they traveled westward. The In digenous People collected bottles, using them to store water, dried meat and grains. The bottles, being fragile, were covered wit leather and eventually decorated with beads. These bottles later became a popu lar trade item. The Royal British Columbia Mu seum in Victoria, Canada currently has several beaded glass items in- ' t f A' .i. " i One of Linda's exquisite bottle designs. Photos courtesy of Linda Murphy eluding beaded bottles in its exhibit, "Out of the Mist, The Treasures of the Nuu-chah-nulth Chiefs." This exhibit can be seen until April 5, 2000. Linda's beaded bottle work can cur rently be seen in the display window at the Governance Center. Can you help jdentify these kids? " - v -. .- i ...... j . i ) . A 11 ..." ' i :-.zc - i- '-. . ' ' '.; ! 1-V. - - - - , .' :?-. l . - f , j ' .... I s- -r LIJ ' -V ' ' -rC " y . -It t ' i- j : f . ..: f r" . t i . ... . . v. - .' ' S-' i ; . V'v; v. f . i 0 ii I r. "- f i I j 1 1 t !H r -5 If T i ----- -Jr-v .,-.1 n ii..jifc)ime I 1 This photo of a Grand Ronde School class is on loan to the Tribe from Charlene Freeman. We are trying to identify the kids in this photo, and have been able to estimate that this is a first grade class. We believe the year is about 1945. If you think you can name any students in the photo, please call Justin Phillips at (503) 879-2190 or 1-800-422-0232, ext. 2190.
