Some Pacific Northwest Native American women identify three primary stages in life: birth, finding a guardian spirit, and death. The tradition of finding one’s spirit is a rite that forms a common bond within the community, while simultaneously defining an individual’s personal identity. This woman with a buffalo or American bison guardian spirit gave a woman she can cross different areas and functions.
Attached to this traditional weaving is an applique showing a jovial Calavera, a decorated Día de Muertos skull. She is surrounded by an infinity of colorful flowers that demarcate the threshold between life and death. She is free to move between these worlds as easily as the birds whose feathers adorn her. The feathers are gathered from birds flying around Portland.
This commissioned textile artwork was created for the low-rent apartments in Rockwood, Gresham, as a symbol of resilience and community. Using salvaged fabrics and layered stitching, it reflects the vibrant stories of residents—each thread representing hope, migration, and survival. The piece honors the strength found in shared spaces and the quiet dignity of those building new lives. Inspired by local landscapes and cultural diversity, it invites viewers to see beauty in the overlooked and value in every thread.
It was an honor making this piece.
Attached to this traditional weaving is an applique showing La Catrina, the elegant symbolic woman from the Día de Muertos tradition. The weaving portrays the tumultuous and polluted oceans and rivers that surround us. Her hair is braided from strands of the woven water. Her skirt is also dissolving into the river and ocean as she becomes part of the surrounding
