Natural Dyes
Chickasaw Culture KeepersLike generations of Chickasaw ancestors before her, textile artist and natural dyer Whitney Courtney utilizes the vibrant hues found in nature to add color to handmade yarn and fabrics. "Our ancestors, they didn't have books, they didn't have Google," Whitney says. "They used what was around them in nature. They didn't have the stores like we do." Natural dyeing connects the Chickasaw cultural demonstrator to her nature, her ancestors and her family members.
Traditionally, bags, mats and skirts would have been patterned out of plant fibers such as nettle or animal hairs like rabbit, buffalo and naturally growing plants would have been used for dyes. For instance, wild strawberries provided pink dyes and blueberries provided purple dyes. "Naturally dyeing is something you're not going to learn in a week or a day of class," Whitney explains. "You're going to have to learn your entire life because everything affects the plants, from the rain that you received that season to the soil quality, it's always changing and you just have to kind of listen to your surroundings."
EPISODES
Stickball Sticks
S1 • E2
Metalsmithing
S1 • E5
Shell Carving
S2 • E1
Horticulture
S2 • E3
Traditional Foods
S2 • E5
Beaded Collars
S2 • E8
Drum Making
S2 • E9
Storytelling
S2 • E10
Bow Making
S2 • E11
Brent Greenwood Art
S2 • E12
Beaded Jewelry
S3 • E1
Flint Knapping
S3 • E2
Stomp Dancing
S3 • E3
Turkey Calls
S3 • E5
Woodturning
S3 • E7
Bead Artisan
S3 • E8
Textile Art
S3 • E9
Quilt Making
S3 • E10
The Legacy of Bow Making
S3 • E12
Bead Artistry
S4 • E1
Woven Mats
S4 • E3
Metalworking
S4 • E4
Photography
S4 • E5
Deer Toe Shakers
S4 • E7
Stickball Sticks
S4 • E8
Shell Carving
S4 • E9
Medicine Bags
S4 • E10
Natural Dyes
S4 • E11
Bladesmithing
S5 • E1
Porcupine Quillwork
S5 • E3
Pottery Burnishing
S5 • E4
Shell Carving
S5 • E5
Duck Decoys
S5 • E6
Traditional Arrows
S5 • E7
Fine Gourd Art
S5 • E8
Traditional Flutes
S5 • E9
Turtle Pottery
S5 • E10
Turtle Shell Shakers
S5 • E11
Pucker Toe Moccasins
S5 • E12
Tattoos and War Paint
S6 • E1
Leggings and Breechcloths
S6 • E2One Tribe One Mission
"Our mission to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people will continue to serve as our guidepost as we work together to build an even brighter future"
Bill Anoatubby, Governor
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