Teri Rofkar talks with Kristen Griffin on May 21, 1999 in Sitka, Alaska about...

1) Introduction, Grandma's influence, and moving to Sitka.

project -- explanation/ Sitka National Historical Park/ Cultural Center/ personal background/ Sitka/ California/ Rofkar, Teri -- parents/ Alaska -- moving to/ Anchorage/ Dimond High School/ Pelican/ Sitka/ Rofkar, Teri -- grandmother/ Moses, Eliza/ Sitka -- moving to/ art/ grandmother -- learning from/ Yakutat/ weaving|

2) Learning to weave, and people who were her teachers.

weaving -- learning/ Churchill, Dolores/ art -- learning/ Rofkar, Teri -- husband/ weaving -- importance of/ University class/ Peratovich, Selena/ Churchill, Dolores -- mother/ Littlefield, Esther -- mentor/ Littlefield, Esther -- teacher/ Rainman, Lucy -- weaver/ Metlakatla/ Cultural Center|

3) Different styles of weaving, and learning to weave continued.

weaving -- styles/ Tsimshian/ Tlingit/ Haida/ Hanlon, Ernestine/ Churchill, Dolores/ weaving -- left handed/ weaving -- learning/ weaving -- holding/ tension/ Rainman, Lucy/ dream/ weaving -- right handed/ Cultural Center -- classes/ Littlefield, Esther/ class -- beadwork/ beading --learning|

4) Taking weaving classes at the Cultural Center and starting a robe weaving project.

weaving/ Littlefield, Esther/ Cultural Center/ Samuel, Cheryl/ weaving -- Raven's Tail/ class -- weaving/ Hoonah/ Rofkar, Teri -- grandmother/ family -- weavers/ Hays, Ellen Hope/ class -- Raven's Tail/ weaving -- technique/ Sitka/ weavings -- locations/ Russia/ New York/ Cambridge, Massachusetts/ University of Pennsylvania/ grants/ weaving project -- robe|

5) The Kruzof Robe, and the importance of the Cultural Center to her and the development of her art.

robe -- Kruzof/ cave/ Hayward Straight/ robe -- fragments/ Natural History Museum -- New York/ robe -- weaving/ Cultural Center/ weaving -- Raven's Tail robe/ Cultural Center -- importance of/ art -- opportunities/ Park -- inspiration from/ creativity/ dance -- Crossroads of the Continents exhibit|

6) Working on a big weaving project, and the value of having other artists at the Cultural Center.

robe -- weaving/ weaving -- collaborators/ Jimmy, Irene/ Haines/ Klukwan/ Cultural Center/ tourists/ carvers/ silver engravers/ art -- isolation/ art -- design/ artists -- bond between/ Joseph, Tommy|

7) Artists collaborating on projects, and her involvement with Cultural Center administration.

silver box/ Galanin, Dave/ artists -- collaborating/ design -- visualization/ Joseph, Tommy/ potlatch rings/ crest hat/ collection -- permanent/ Cultural Center -- politics/ Hays, Ellen Hope/ Alaska Native Brotherhood/ Cultural Center -- independence/ Cultural Center -- board member/ Peterson, Gail/ grant -- totem pole carving/ Burkhart, Will|

8) Opening an art gallery, artists becoming independent from the Cultural Center, and good things the Cultural Center has done.

Cultural Center/ art gallery/ artist -- independent/ Joseph, Tommy/ artist -- full-time/ Galanin, Dave/ artist -- difficulties/ changes/ language/ protocol/ Cultural Center -- events/ totem pole/ Cultural Center -- benefits/ employment -- art/ Cultural Center -- collections/ exhibits/ Cultural Center -- education/ tourism/ weaving -- time consuming|

9) Belonging to a family of artists.

art -- family/ art -- growing up/ art -- European/ Anchorage/ Rofkar, Teri -- mother/ Laws, Marie/ Rofkar, Teri -- father/ Rofkar, Teri -- sister/ Laws, Shelly/ weaving -- Chilkat/ spinning/ Cultural Center/ weaving -- apron/ carving -- mother/ Rofkar, Teri -- grandmother/ values -- growing up|

10) Her mother's involvement with the Cultural Center, and the process and time involved to weave a robe.

Rofkar, Teri -- mother/ Laws, Marie/ Cultural Center -- board member/ Cultural Center -- non-profit/ Jimmy, Irene/ robe -- design/ robe -- story/ history/ symbols -- explanation of/ Rofkar, Teri -- daughter/ weaving -- learning/ weaving -- spruce root/ Rofkar, Erin -- daughter/ resources -- connections to nature/ art -- generation gap|

11) Tells the story about the origin of baskets at Yakutat, and discusses the positive influence the Cultural Center had on her life.

spruce root -- collecting/ Yakutat/ story -- basketry origin/ sun -- falling in love/ maiden/ home -- clouds/ basket -- weaving/ weaving -- Raven's Tail/ people -- beautiful/ Rofkar, Teri -- grandmother/ story -- hawk and his beak/ story -- origin of fire/ stories -- truth/ Cultural Center -- influence of/ weaving|

12) Connections between Native art and the Park.

Cultural Center -- importance of/ Park -- Native art/ Park -- facilities/ artist -- freedom/ art -- learn about/ art -- reflects the people/ art -- experience/ Park -- direct experiences/ Park -- trails/ bird -- eagle/ Cultural Center/ conversations|

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