YEIL KOOWÚ • QWĒGAL GIA’T • RAVEN’S TAIL WEAVING

DNA Robe

by Teri Rofkar Chas’ Koowoo Tláa (Tlingit) 2014
Loan Courtesy family of the artist. LC.477

Artist Teri Rofkar wears the DNA Robe.

This innovative robe speaks to the ancient history of the Baranov Island mountain goats, whose wool Teri Rofkar used to create it. New genetic research has revealed that this isolated herd descended from goats residing there 20,000 years ago, during the last ice age, when the island was a glacial refugium. The robe represents Rofkar’s call to conserve and protect such precious wildlife.

The DNA Robe shows Rofkar’s use of innovative new designs to tell stories—this one inspired by her extensive research on the mountain goats living near her Sitka home. The double helical strand of DNA, used as the side border, is a unique departure from the typical approach, but is very representative of Rofkar’s approach to convey scientific information and educate her audience.

The top border of the robe features the “Ancestors” pattern---an ancient raven’s tail pattern, appropriately applied to convey the ancestry of the Sitka mountain goats. The center field of the robe features the concentric box design and at the center of the boxes appear to be more hidden messages regarding the goats’ DNA. Finally, the bottom border features a classic spruce root basketry design known as xóots xus.eetí (tracks of the brown bear).

Rofkar was a prolific and beloved artist whose work was collected widely by museums small and large. She was known for her innovative raven’s tail designs integrating history, clan histories, math, and science. An educator and storyteller at heart, she cultivated awareness of the weaving tradition through her work and took the time to teach classes and do public demonstrations in her community and beyond. Rofkar enjoyed the process of gathering the natural materials for her projects. She received several major awards for her work, including the 2009 National Heritage Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Rasmuson Foundation Distinguished Artist Award in 2013.