This week on Sounding Board (Thursday, March 27th at 10am), we’re talking about Native and traditional crafts.
With the forces of a cash economy and alternative lifestyles, the younger generation can seem distracted from learning how to make traditional crafts. If the youth do express an interest in learning these skills, sometimes the older generation can have difficulty finding the time to pass on this knowledge. Is it important to continue to teach and hone these cultural skills? In today’s society, how do we do this?
- Are you an artist? How did you learn? How do you feel about sharing your knowledge?
- Do you teach your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or others your skills?
- How can we ensure the passing on of this traditional knowledge?
- Can non-Natives make traditional/Native crafts?
- Where is the line drawn when a craft or skill is no longer “authentic”?
