Indigenous basketry workshops weave community in the Columbia Gorge

In a workroom overlooking the Columbia River on Saturday, a few dozen attendees fill two long tables in the Education Center of the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, Washington, eager to create intricate weaved baskets, called wa’pass, from crafting cord and yarn using Indigenous techniques.

The picturesque view is more than just a backdrop. For workshop instructor Chestina Dominguez, the scenery evokes a deep connection to her ancestors and Indigenous ways of life. Inspired by a photo of the museum’s river view, Dominguez knew she wanted to weave there and immediately reached out, offering free weaving classes to the community.

“I just think that my ancestors were somewhere along these banks of the river, weaving at one time, and I think that’s powerful,” said Dominguez, a member of the Warm Springs and Yakima tribes. “Right where I’m standing, somebody else was teaching and weaving and doing it.”

As a care navigator with Yakama Nation Behavioral Health, Dominguez infuses her workshops with mindfulness techniques, helping participants find healing through the practice.

“I work in mental health, and I’ve seen people go through their really hard times,” said Dominguez. “One of my participants just lost their husband. She’s going through a lot of changes and grief, and to see her weaving is just like, is beautiful.”

First-time weavers and experts sat alongside each other sharing their reasons for joining the workshop that Saturday morning. Among them, a love of basketry and a desire to work with their hands in a community stood out.

Demonstrating how to create the base of the basket at the front of the room, Dominguez explained the motions of weaving. Holding the yarn with two fingers on your dominant hand and looping it around each cord tightly, working your way in a circle, creates the wa’pass style baskets.

With individual bags of 12-foot-long cords and a bin full of multicolor yarn, each participant chose four arm-lengths of their desired color and began the process of creating a miniature basket.

Some continued larger projects they had started in previous classes. Dominguez offers free basket weaving workshops once a month, drawing 20-60 participants. Many return each month throughout the season, which runs from March to November.

“Chestina began offering these workshops in October 2023,” said Amy Behrens, executive director of Maryhill Museum of Art. “And so we held it on the last Saturday of each month, and it was so popular. Even in the November 2023 workshop … we noticed that people were coming from over 100 miles away to gather and participate in this workshop.”

Dominguez began teaching people to weave over Zoom in 2020 as a way to introduce mindfulness techniques and share a small part of her culture with others.

“It was a real struggle, but I did it because we were all isolated,” Dominguez said. “At first it was just me staring at me. And then I had two people that joined, and there would be three of us. And then slowly, it just started growing and taking up momentum.”

Over Zoom, Dominguez connected with many students, some of whom continued to participate in her monthly workshops in person. Bernadine Mardel of White Salmon, Washington, has been weaving with Dominguez since 2020.

Her skilled weaving was showcased in a small bag of previous projects spread across the table. Delicate miniature baskets, some smaller than a thimble, and woven with embroidery thread, were scattered around her current work.

Mardel had been looking for a way to get into crafting when she found an advertisement on social media for Dominguez’s workshops. One of her favorite parts was “meeting the other weavers that came to the classes and learning different things,” said Mardel. “I wanted to get out of my comfort zone.”

After learning the basics, Mardel began looking up patterns online to create different designs for each project. The progression in skill was evident from her first miniature woven basket to the one she was making in class in October — each one more intricate than the last.

Dominguez remembers teaching to more than 50 participants over Zoom at one point, with people turning in from all over the country to learn the technique. Once she was able to teach classes in person again, Dominguez jumped at the opportunity to start free workshops at museums.

“I love teaching, because we’re here, we’re laughing together, we’re sharing stories,” said Dominguez. “I think that’s what makes me want to teach, because they come back every month, and I get to see their confidence grow. … This is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Basketry has been passed down through generations, Dominguez explained, not only as a skill but also as a lesson in patience, perseverance and mindfulness. Sharing these traditions with attendees fosters healing for both them and herself.

“They fill my cup as much as they probably get their cup filled,” said Dominguez.

Throughout the workroom, the camaraderie was evident. Weavers sat side by side swapping stories and helping each other with projects. Even among first-timers, new connections were forged.

Lynda Bell and Terri Steinert had never tried weaving before entering the workshop that Saturday, but by the end of the class, they each had something to show for it — their first weaving project. They ended the class with a deal to return for the November workshop and finish their baskets.

“I love it,” Steinert said. “It’s been a great experience learning a new skill… and maybe I’ll change out the strings for different materials.”

IF YOU GO

Chestina Dominguez will lead a free wa’paas basket weaving workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 9, at Maryhill Museum of Art, 35 Maryhill Museum Drive Goldendale, Washington; https://www.maryhillmuseum.org.