Yeił Koowu Ka Naax̲éin Shtoowx̲ałtóow
Ravenstail & Chilkat Weaver
Mentee of Lily Hope – Master Weaver
Artist Description:
Donedin is a traditionally trained 4th generation Shaxʼsaani Kéekʼennie Jennie Thlunaut
Naax̲éin Chilkat & Yeił Koowú Ravenstail weaver and fine textile artist, and apprentice of
Lily Hope Weaver, Artist Wooshkindein Da.áat.
Named Sakoon by her great-grandmother Cint (Carrie Jackson), the last medicine person of
Teslin, Yukon, Donedin Jackson was born in the treaty 7 occupied lands temporarily known
as Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada and currently resides in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. She
is a Ravenstail & Chilkat student, weaver, and teacher, and a Tlingit language learner.
Granddaughter to Wilma Magill, she is an inland Tlingit born on her fathers side, raised in
southern Alberta with her mother, stepfather, older brother and younger half-sister. She
began weaving in her ancestral arts and learning her traditional language to decolonize her
life in 2019.
As a living success story of the Canadian Governments’ attempts to destroy the
traditional peoples of this continent, she is also a testament to indigenous resilience and
integrity. In her journey to decolonize herself and her life, she has had the great honour to
work with uniquely gifted Traditional Knowledge Keepers.
Donedin started out studying Chilkat and Ravenstail weaving self-guided until she came
across Lily Hope, her mentor and instructor, offering classes online. She immediately signed
up for classes and felt herself being welcomed by a supportive and giving community that
Lily had created. A dream was realised on January 19, 2023 when she joined over 20 trained
weavers gathered in Juneau Alaska to support and facilitate the completion and dancing of
the Chilkat Child Size Robe’s, currently on display at the Juneau Douglas City Museum from
February 4, 2023 to Feb 25, 2023 & May 5- 2023 to November 30, 2023.
She has been honoured to showcase a piece of her work titled – Chilkat Protector Mask: For
the Missing and Murdered Indigenous & Two Spirit People, on tour with the Bunnell Street
Arts Center from May 15, 2022 until January 31, 2025. She was also the recipient of the
“Canada Council for the Arts: Travel component of the Creating, Knowing and Sharing: the
Arts and Cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples Program in 2022” which allowed
her the ability to join the weaving cohort in Alaska for 2 whole weeks of weaving during the
workshop in the Winter of 2023 to complete the Chilkat Child Size Robe that she have been
weaving all of 2021. Traditional and contemporary materials serve as living documents, a
testament to indigenous resilience and integrity.
Donedin is now one of over 30 artists that have the technical and spiritual skill and
knowledge to weave a full sized Chilkat ceremonial robes, and has begun her teaching
journey by travelling to indigenous communities to do demonstrations and workshops.
