Jennie Thlunaut facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jennie Thlunaut
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| Shaxʼsaani Kéekʼ | |
Thlunaut in 1986
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| Born | May 18, 1891 Lax̱acht’aak, Alaska
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| Died | March 6, 1986 (aged 98) |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) |
John James
(m. 1905–1920)John Mark Thlunaut
(m. 1922–1952) |
| Awards | National Heritage Fellowship (1986) |
Jennie Thlunaut (around 1891–1986) was a famous Tlingit artist. She is known for keeping the special art of Chilkat weaving alive. Many people consider her one of the best weavers from the Northwest Coast in the 1900s.
Contents
About Jennie Thlunaut
Jennie Thlunaut was also known by her Tlingit name, Shaxʼsaani Kéekʼ. This means "Younger Sister of the Girls." She was born in Southeast Alaska in a place called Lax̱acht’aak. This area is part of the Jilḵaat Ḵwaan, or Chilkat Territory.
Her Early Life
Jennie grew up like many Tlingit children. She spent a lot of time outdoors. She played at the beach and helped her family. They hunted and fished together. They also gathered wild plant foods like berries.
Jennie's parents were Matthew and Ester Johnson. Her mother was from the Eagle side of the Wolf House in Angoon. Jennie was born into this group. Her father was from the G̱aanaax̱teidí clan. He belonged to the Frog House in Klukwan. Jennie grew up in the Frog House in Klukwan.
Learning to Weave
Even as a young girl, Jennie loved making things. She enjoyed making baskets and moccasins. She also liked beadwork and weaving. She would play make-believe games about these arts with her friends. Her mother saw Jennie's interest. She taught Jennie how to do these crafts.
Jennie became very well-known for her skill. She was especially good at weaving Chilkat blankets. She got her first mountain goat hair when she was a child. Her mother taught her to weave when Jennie was only 10 years old.
Family Life
In 1905, when she was 13, Jennie married John James. This marriage was arranged. John was a Gaanax̱teidí man from Wrangell. At their traditional Tlingit wedding, Jennie's parents gave John a special gift. It was a Chilkat blanket with a frog design. Jennie and her mother had made this blanket in 1902.
Jennie and John James had three daughters: Kathryn, Edith, and Edna. In 1920, John James became very ill. He died after two months in the hospital. Before he passed away, John told Jennie about a dream. He dreamed that she would be able to take care of herself. Knowing this, he died peacefully.
Jennie married again in 1922. Her second husband was John Mark Thlunaut. They moved to the Raven House in Haines. Jennie and John had one daughter who survived, Agnes. John Mark Thlunaut died in 1952. After his death, Jennie moved to a small house in Klukwan. Later, she moved to a new house built by the Tlingit and Haida Housing Authority. She often split her time between the two homes.
Jennie was active in her church and community. She also took part in traditional Tlingit ceremonies. She was recognized for her dedication to her family, people, and culture.
Jennie's Weaving Art
Jennie finished a blanket that her mother had started. Her mother had passed away in 1908. Jennie sold her first completed blanket for $50. In 1910, she wove her very first blanket from start to finish. She was living in a tent in Ketchikan at the time. She and her husband were fishing there for the summer.
When her daughter went to Sheldon Jackson School, Jennie paid the tuition. She wove a special blanket for this. It showed a frog coming out of winter hibernation.
Her Weaving Career
Jennie made more than 50 blankets during her 75-year career. She also made 25 tunics. She was a very busy weaver. Traditionally, a Chilkat blanket could take a whole year to finish. But Jennie was able to finish many blankets. She also managed to gather food, work, and raise her children.
Jennie sold some of her beautiful artwork. However, she gave many pieces as gifts to her family. Chilkat blankets are usually woven with mountain goat wool. This wool is dyed using tree lichens, copper, and hemlock bark. Red cedar bark is also used.
Traditionally, men provided the materials for the weavings. Women would then prepare the materials and do the weaving. Jennie spun all of her own yarn. She used the traditional method of twisting the wool against her leg.
Honors and Awards
Jennie Thlunaut received many honors for her work. In 1984, the Smithsonian Institution chose her. She demonstrated weaving at their Festival of American Folklife.
In 1986, she received the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship. This is a very important award. In 1988, the Sealaska Heritage Foundation made a film about her life. A book called Haa Tuwunáagu Yís, for Healing Our Spirit was also published. It included interviews with Jennie. This book won the 1991 American Book Award. Her work was shown in many art shows. One famous exhibit was "Tlingit Aanee" at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
Jennie's Lasting Legacy
Jennie Thlunaut died from cancer on July 16, 1986. She passed away while flying home to Klukwan, Alaska. Of her 11 children, three were still alive in 1994.
In the early 1900s, Chilkat blankets were often buried with people. They were also cut into pieces and given to mourners. Many blankets were taken from communities to museums or private collections. This meant that fewer old designs were available to copy. Weavers had to create new designs. As fewer weavers remained, the designs became simpler.
Jennie Thlunaut was one of the few remaining weavers. She lived the longest among them. She knew a lot about the traditional formline designs. This helped her keep the design structure strong in her own Chilkat creations.
Jennie worked tirelessly to keep this traditional art form alive. She did this even when interest in traditional arts was low. Many young artists today have learned Chilkat weaving from Jennie Thlunaut. Thanks to people like her, many traditional arts of the Northwest coastal regions are coming back to life. Jennie Thlunaut passed on important knowledge to younger generations.
Clarissa Hudson, a Chilkat weaver, said, "Jennie amazed us with her speed at weaving... Her fingers seemed to fly through the warp, and she didn't even used a pattern." Biographers Rosita Worl and Charles Smythe wrote that Jennie "will be remembered as one of the most eminent and celebrated weavers of Tlingit ceremonial robes."
