We were lucky enough to have the beautiful quilt by the Kawartha Truth and Reconciliation Support Group (KTRSG) at the performances of Cottagers and Indians at the Art Barn in the Fall of 2018. This is a group quilt project by KTRSG members on the legacy of residential schools. The visual impact of this beautiful piece cannot be denied and is further enhanced by the stories of the individual quilt squares which you can read on their website.
Alice Williams is not only a member of the KTRSG but a well-renown quilter. She was interested in doing a similar workshop to the one she did last year at the Storytelling Conference at Trent University with our group and we jumped at the opportunity.
“I make blankets, just as my mother did, and her mother before her did.” Alice Olsen Williams.
Alice Olsen Williams is the daughter of Sarah Keesic Olsen and Einar Olsen. She was born during a Snow Moon in 1945 in what is now called Trout Lake, Ontario in a cabin on her maternal grandparents’ trap line. Alice is the oldest of six siblings. Her traditional name is Minaajimo-kwe which translates to “Woman Who Tells Good Stories”.
…As of 2018 Alice has been a full time quilt maker for more than 37 years and she has established a substantial body of work that, like Creation’s laws, has expanded and shifted over time, where each stage of development has a distinctive style.
Source: Article by Lynn Gehl
There was strong interest in learning from Alice. She began it with a smudging ceremony and a setting of the context of how the KTRSG quilt came into being.
She asked participants to choose a quilt panel that spoke to them and to explain why they chose it, what they think it represents, then she asked us to read out what each person who made the panel said about why they chose the image, etc. There was open discussion between all participants throughout that was deeply moving.
One result of this worshop was that TRC Bobcaygeon members were inspired to make a quilted banner to introduce our group at events and activities and to tell the story of what is important to us. We were lucky enough to have Alice come and join us for one of our planning meetings where she shared her enthusiasm and expert guidance (oh and tea and treats.) We will be busy over the Winter putting our ideas onto quilt squares and into a banner. Stay tuned!
