Teri Rofkar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Teri Rofkar
|
|
|---|---|
Rofkar in 2016
|
|
| Born |
Chas' Koowu Tla'a
September 27, 1956 |
| Died | December 2, 2016 (aged 60) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Weaving |
| Spouse(s) | Denny Rofkar |
| Awards | see Awards section |
Teri Rofkar, also known by her Tlingit name Chas' Koowu Tla'a (1956–2016), was a famous Tlingit weaver and teacher from Sitka, Alaska. She was known for her special Ravenstail designs and beautiful baskets made from spruce roots.
Contents
About Teri Rofkar
Teri Rofkar was born on September 27, 1956, in San Rafael, California. She grew up in small towns in Alaska, like Pelican and Anchorage. In 1976, she moved to Sitka, Alaska, which was her grandmother's hometown. There, she raised three children with her husband, Denny Rofkar. Teri Rofkar passed away on December 2, 2016, when she was 60 years old.
Learning to Weave
Teri Rofkar learned the art of weaving from her grandmother, Eliza Monk. She also learned from other talented weavers like Delores Churchill (who was Haida), Ernestine Hanlon-Abel (Tlingit), and Cheryl Samuel. Teri started her professional weaving career in 1986.
She created the first Tlingit robe made entirely from mountain goat wool in over 200 years. This showed her deep respect for old traditions. However, she also liked to try new materials and modern technology in her artwork.
Weaving Methods
Teri Rofkar was an expert in a weaving method called "twinning." This is a very old practice, going back 6,000 years! It involves a long, continuous process of weaving by hand. She used this method to create baskets and special ceremonial robes from the roots of spruce trees.
Sharing Knowledge
Besides making amazing art, Teri Rofkar was also a community teacher and researcher. She worked hard to help people understand traditional Native American crafts. She shared new stories and ideas about these crafts. Through her work, Teri helped connect the history of Native people to the wider world.
Where to See Her Art
You can see Teri Rofkar's beautiful weaving creations in several museums. Her works are on display at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.. You can also find them at the Museum of the North in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Awards and Honors
Teri Rofkar received many important awards for her incredible weaving and teaching:
- In 2004, she won the Governor's Award for Native Art in Alaska.
- In 2006, she was chosen for a USA Fellowship from United States Artists. This was in the Crafts and Traditional Arts category.
- She received a 2009 National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. This is the highest honor the U.S. government gives for folk and traditional arts.
- In 2012, she got the Creative Capital Visual Arts Award.
- In 2013, she received two awards: the Distinguished Artist Award from the Rasmuson Foundation and a Native Arts & Cultures Foundation Artist Fellowship.
- Teri Rofkar also received an Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award.
