The Cherokees and members of other native tribes have a long history of weaving, and whether it’s with their hands or using a loom, it offers a good lesson in patience.

Weaving is thought to have been practiced by the Cherokees since the 1700s. It is time consuming and requires a weaver to remember a number of steps. Over the years, it has been passed down from generation to generation.

District 2 Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor Candessa Tehee was named a Cherokee National Treasure in 2019 for her efforts in preserving and promoting Cherokee art and culture. Like any skilled craftsman, she had to start somewhere.

Tehee taught herself to weave with her fingers using a book she bought in 2000. She said she was the last person she knew able to weave had already passed away, so there was no one at the time to turn to.

“I didn’t realize I had learned to wear the warp style, in which there are only a few weft threads,” she said. “The wefts run in the direction of the weave and above and below other fibers. In 2010, I bought another book and learned slant, or open-face, finger weaving, so so that I can be more creative in adding beads.”

In 2011, Tehee furthered her knowledge of weaving by taking a class with Cherokee National Treasure Dorothy Dreadfulwater Ice, so named for her loom. It was an easy transition for someone like Tehee, as she already understood how fibers move through her finger weaving experience.

“For me, finger weaving is easier to learn because you don’t need anything special to start,” Tehee said. “The hardest thing for people to master is maintaining even tension on the fibers as you weave. As finger weaving is done entirely by hand, most people take a little time to figure out how to maintain an even tension so that their weave looks beautiful.”

Loom weaving is said to have been introduced to the Cherokees by Lydia Bean, a woman who was captured, but her life spared by Nancy Ward, a Cherokee political leader. Afterwards, Bean taught her to weave and ride a loom, revolutionizing Cherokee clothing. Looms can be as small as 8 inches wide, up to several feet.

Tehee said the key to loom weaving is in the pattern.

“Laying out the fibers and the pattern on the loom is an intensive process that can sometimes take as long as the weaving,” she said.

“And, depending on the size of the loom, assistance is sometimes needed. Once everything is set up correctly, the weaving itself is a lot of fun. I’ve seen some people get discouraged by the length of the setup, but it just requires patience.”

There are a variety of different looms, which can create different woven pieces. They consist of a wooden frame, with wire reeds, pedals, cloth roller, warp wheel and levers. Together, the different parts help raise and lower the loom to create a pattern. With a loom or finger weaving, almost anything can be done.

“I think the possibilities of what can be done are only limited by a person’s imagination,” Tehee said. “As a finger weaver, I quite regularly made bags, belts, bracelets, necklaces and earrings. I also made wall hangings and even a few scarves. I like to add the Cherokee language sometimes using the Cherokee syllabary, so that I could incorporate the language and I also played with adding images.”