In addition to crafting beautiful objects from cedar bark and spruce root, Gladys Vandal participated enthusiastically in a local language immersion program that brings together Elders with new learners and listeners
Gladys Vandal, whose traditional name was Jiixa, was recognized as an expert weaver, and for her dedication in documenting her dialect.was renowned on Haida Gwai’i and beyond, first for her bark and root weaving and then for her commitment to documenting her dialect while first-language speakers like her were still alive.
Jiixa’s love for the Haida culture manifested in many ways, say those who knew her. She was her clan’s matriarch, counted on by Haida leadership for guidance and wisdom. She was an expert weaver, working with cedar bark as well as famously difficult spruce root. She cooked traditional Haida foods, and loved teaching others to do the same.
Even from her hospital bed in Daajing Giids when she was in the late stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Ms. Vandal“From the age of 10, she had this instinct of capturing and preserving,” says Tomas Borsa , who grew close to Ms. Vandal while doing university research on Haida Gwai’i and was later adopted into her clan.
That homecoming deepened his wife’s appreciation of a traditional Haida life. The couple joined the Haida Watchman program, spending summers as hosts and cultural interpreters for visitors at five traditional Haida villages in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. Living a life true to her Haida culture extended well beyond weaving and language for Ms. Vandal, Mr. Borserio says. Prayer was vital to her, in keeping with Haida beliefs that the Creator should be kept central to daily life.
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