Leila Strogan

“Our stories and traditions are woven into our textiles. These woven designs reflect our ancestral traditions and our connection to nature.” In Salish cultures, weaving techniques have been passed down matriarchal lines for millennia. Woven wool blankets were highly valued objects, often worn as robes and used for both ceremonial and practical purposes. However, by the early 20th century, colonial suppression of Indigenous cultural traditions and the increased availability of machine-woven blankets meant that these traditional weaving practices were not passed down. Stogan’s work can also be found on permanent display in MOA’s Multiversity Galleries (MOA Collection Nbz859), and was also included in The Fabric of Our Land. Although her ancestors created weavings for both ceremonial and everyday purposes, Stogan contrasts this with her own current practice: “I mainly weave now for cultural reasons as this is my priority,” she says, although she has experimented with clothing items as well.