Vivien Hailstone Explained

Vivien Hailstone
Birth Name:Vivien Geneva Risling
Birth Place:Humboldt County, California
Nationality:Yurok;Karok
Occupation:basketweaver; jewelry designer

Vivien Risling Hailstone (October 16, 1913 – July 8, 2000)[1] was a Yurok/Karok basketweaver, jewelry designer, activist and educator who led efforts to sustain traditional basket weaving patterns and techniques.[2] Hailstone also had an impact on statewide policy for repatriation of Native American remains and returning to Native American names for parks through her involvement with the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation Commission.[3]

Early life

Vivien Hailstone was born Vivien Geneva Risling in Humboldt County, California on October 16, 1913[4] to Geneva Orcutt (Yurok/Karok) and David Risling (Karok and a member of the Hupa tribe).[5] Her great-grandmother, Jane Young (Yurok), taught her many traditional stories, songs, and basketry techniques. Her brother was David Risling, Jr.[6] a co-founder of D–Q University. Hailstone grew up in a rural area, and at age 10, she was enrolled in a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school in the Hoopa Valley[7] In 1940, Vivien married Albert Hailstone (Wintu) and they a child, named Albert Jr.[8]

Career and advocacy

Hailstone's efforts to sustain and promote traditional basketry are evidenced through her work in her Native community and her teaching at local colleges. She was a founding member of a pottery guild in the 1940s which incorporated Indian basketry designs into pottery designs. She served as Chair of College of the Redwood Extension Board of Directors in the 1950s and taught basketry classes at D–Q University. In 1959, Hailstone opened I-Ye-Quee Trading Post & Gift Shop, which contributed to a revival of interest in Native American basketry.[9] [2]

Hailstone was also an accomplished jewelry maker and designer.[10] [11]

In addition to her basketmaking and jewelry, Hailstone was also an advocate for education and Native American concerns at the state level. She was a founding member of the Redding, California chapter of the California Indian Education Association.[12] In the 1970s, Hailstone became the first Native American to serve on the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation Commission.[13] She advocated for a reburial policy for remains and using Native American names for parks.[14] [15]

Death and legacy

Vivien Hailstone died in 2000.[16] In 2003, the California Indian Basketweavers Association produced a video documenting Hailstone's life and basketry techniques.[17] Throughout her life Hailstone collected baskets. Her collection, along with pieces collected by her son Albert, were donated to the Clarke Historical Museum in Eureka, California.[18] [19]

References

  1. . Ortiz . Beverly R.. With Respect: Vivien Hailstone (1913-2000) . News from Native California . Berkeley . 14 . 1 . 30 September 2000 . 13 .
  2. Book: Dennis . Yvonne Wakim . Native American Almanac: More Than 50,000 Years of the Cultures and Histories of Indigenous Peoples . Hirschfelder . Arlene . Flynn . Shannon Rothenberger . 2016-04-18 . Visible Ink Press . 978-1-57859-608-9 . en.
  3. Ortiz . Beverly Ruth . Contemporary California Indian basketry: Practice, meaning, issues . 2008 . . 793947487 .
  4. St. James guide to native North American artists, 1998: p. 205 (Hailstone, Vivien; b. Oct. 16, 1913, Vivien Geneva Risling; alternate name: Cutcha; tribal affiliations: Yurok/Karok; basketweaver and jewelry designer)
  5. Betty Lease. "Vivien Hailstone: Proud of Indian Ancestry." Redding Record Searchlight (CA), 13 Oct. 1991.
  6. Web site: Walters . Heidi . Albert and the Baskets . 2022-08-26 . North Coast Journal . en.
  7. Book: Art, women, California 1950-2000: parallels and intersections . University of California Press . 2002 . Berkeley . 189–190.
  8. Book: Bataille, Gretchen . Native American women: a biographical dictionary . . 1993 . 978-0-8240-5267-6 . 100–101.
  9. Book: Grant Peters, Josephine . After the First Full Moon in April: A Sourcebook of Herbal Medicine From a California Indian Elder . . 2010 . 978-1-59874-364-7 .
  10. Book: Watchful eyes: Native American women artists . . 1994 . 9780934351478 . Phoenix, Arizona . 35.
  11. Book: Baxter . Paula A. . Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry: A Guide to History, People, and Terms . Bird-Romero . Allison . 2000 . Oryx Press . 978-1-57356-128-0 . en.
  12. Book: Chavers, Dean . Modern American Indian Leaders: Their Lives and Their Work . 2007 . Edwin Mellen Press . 978-0-7734-5555-9 . en.
  13. Book: Swisher . Karen Gayton . Native North American Firsts . Benally . AnCita . 1998 . Gale . 978-0-7876-0518-6 . 59 . en.
  14. Book: Hirschfelder, Arlene . The Extraordinary Book of Native American Lists . . 2012 . 978-0-8108-7709-2 . Lanham, MD . 99.
  15. Book: Recreation, California Department of Parks and . News and Views . 1976 . en.
  16. Web site: 2014-11-01 . 'A magnificent gift' . 2022-08-26 . Times-Standard . en-US.
  17. California Indian Basketweavers Association. (2003). Through the eyes of a basketweaver: Vivien Hailstone artisan.
  18. Web site: Medina . Vincent . 2014-10-20 . The Albert and Vivien Hailstone Collection - News from Native California . 2022-08-26 . en-US.
  19. Web site: Hailstone Collection . 2022-09-09 . Clarke Historical Museum . en.