Smoke Signals 9
Woodcarving Class Teaching The Historical Arts
Adam Mclsaac shares his skills.
MAY 1,2007
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By Ron Karten
The woodcarving class is on Friday evenings.
Taught by one of the Northwest's leading woodcarvers of the Columbia
River-style of Indian carving La Center, Washington-based Adam
Mclsaac the class is bringing back a style of carving that has "never
been practiced" since its heyday starting 150 or 200 years ago and going
back.
"The spirit goes into the art," said Tribal member and Youth Education
Culture Specialist Travis Mercier, who was working on a cedar mask.
"When our spirit got hammered, our art died."
The Columbia River-style was practiced by the Clackamas and Chinook
Indians, both indigenous to the Grand Rondos of today.
It's a casual class, meeting out back behind the Youth Education Center
from 6:30 p.m. until dark. Tribal member Gary Oberg and I sit in fold-up
chairs with a tree stump in front of us to work on. Mclsaac supplies the
tools and chunks of green alder or cedar and the authentic Indian carving
tools to get students started.
Mclsaac also provided an Indian source who makes these tools in the
Indian way, if we wanted to buy our own. For the adze, he said, they're
made where a branch of the tree crooks into a smaller branch, the larger
piece for the handle and the smaller for the blade.
The area is alternately animated with conversation or filled with the
whirring and grinding of power tools, the chipping sound of an adze on
alder, or quiet in the face of some delicate and detailed knife work.
Back in the day, Indians carved with sharpened beaver teeth; said
Mclsaac, who is not Native, but who learned this craft from Northwest
Indians willing to teach him.
He said that while he makes a living for himself, his wife and three chil
dren with the Columbia River-style carving, the marketplace is divided
over its authenticity. "Collectors will buy it," he said. "I sell directly to
many collectors, but art galleries won't sell it because I am not Indian."
Meanwhile, the opportunity to learn is right here. There are plenty of
spaces left in the class and it goes all year. We're making an Indian spoon
to start with, then a ladle and there's more and better to come with plenty
of time to learn, and to create great cultural pieces.
"This is the best time in the last 200 years to be practicing this craft,"
said Mclsaac. "It's coming alive again after all these years."
Tribal member Gary Oberg attends the carving class.
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June 9, 20 0 7 - 6:'0 0p?m
Solrlt Mountain Casino
Grand Ronde v OR , -
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Free Elk Hunting Seminar
Come join us for an evening full o f.
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Jim la a world elaaa elk caller andhunter with over
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fun for the whole family
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Price to Shoot 1 Pay 2 Pay
A4ult f15 $20 V' at
Youth C13-17) J10 $15 GfQO
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7 4; un$er Free Free
Family $25 $35
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Located in Grind Ronde Oregon . 2 miles north of Spirit Mountain Casino off of highway
(turn at Valley Junbon towards Tillamook) Fort Yamhill entrance.
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Lodging is available at the Spirit Mountain Lodge (888) 668 7366 or RV and
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Registration Saturday and Sunday 8:30am.
Site in range open Saturday and Sunday 8:30am.
Range doses at 3pm Saturday and Sunday.
For mora information contact Shorn) Leno at 503 879 2397.
Primitive) Camping on site.
Must pay for both days to collect money dots
, p o n s o r o (1 by: rho C o tl o it o r I b u u of Grand -Rondo f
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