Isabella Edenshaw facts for kids
Isabella Edenshaw (born around 1842 – died 1926) was a very talented First Nations artist. She was known for her amazing basket weaving skills. Isabella lived in Haida Gwaii, a beautiful group of islands off the coast of British Columbia. She was also known by her Haida names: K'woiyeng, Yahgujanaas, and S'itkwuns.
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Isabella's Early Life and Family
Isabella was born in a place called Klukwan Village in Alaska. She was part of the Yakulanas family line of the Haida nation. When she was young, her parents passed away due to a serious illness. After that, she was raised by a respected leader named Chief Albert Edward Edenshaw.
Around 1873, Isabella married Charles Edenshaw in a traditional Haida ceremony. Charles was also a very famous Haida artist. Later, in 1885, they had another wedding ceremony at a church in Masset.
Isabella and Charles had eight children together. Their daughter, Florence Davidson, also became a well-known Canadian artist, just like her parents!
Where Isabella's Family Lived
Isabella's family lived in Masset during the late fall, winter, and May. But for the rest of the year, they traveled around. This was part of their traditional way of life.
- In late February, they would go to Kung, an old village site. They camped there for a month to catch and dry halibut fish. This fish was important for eating and trading.
- In June, they traveled to the mainland. Isabella worked at a place called the Inverness Cannery. Here, she could buy materials for her family's clothes for the winter.
- They stayed on the mainland until late summer. During this time, Isabella and Florence gathered berries like huckleberries and cranberries, and also potatoes.
- Then, they would return to the islands, bringing all their supplies with them.
Isabella's Amazing Art
Isabella was a master at weaving baskets and hats from spruce roots. Her husband, Charles, often painted designs on them. Isabella and her daughter Florence would often go to North Beach to gather the spruce roots they needed for weaving.
Her artwork had special features that made it unique. For example, she often used a pattern of "mamastiki" (concentric diamonds) and a special weaving style.
What Isabella Created
We know of many artworks made by Isabella. Records show she made:
- 31 hats
- 7 mats
- 7 baskets
Many of her hats were decorated with animals like frogs, ravens, sharks, and whales. Her mats featured sea lions, halibut, and bears. Her baskets often showed figures like Wasgo (a sea wolf), whales, beavers, and frogs.
Isabella sold her beautiful baskets and hats at a store in Port Essington when she traveled to mainland British Columbia each year. In 1902, a person named Charles F. Newcombe bought some of her work, including a special spruce root cradle-liner with a dogfish design.
Where to See Isabella's Art
Isabella Edenshaw's work has been shown in important art exhibitions. These include Raven Travelling: Two Centuries of Haida Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery and Signed Without Signature at the British Columbia Museum of Anthropology.
Her woven baskets and hats are also part of the collections at famous museums, such as the McCord Museum, the National Gallery of Canada, and the BC Museum of Anthropology. This shows how important and valued her art is today!
Images for kids
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Haida Hat, 1895, Isabella Edenshaw, spruce root and paint, Canadian Museum of Civilization.
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Lidded Basket, 1905, Isabella Edenshaw, spruce root and paint
