Wilverna Reece (Happy Camp, Calif.) is a traditional Karuk basket maker and weaver. Reece, who has served on the Karuk Tribal Council, learned from her mentor 35 years ago. Today, she passes along her traditional knowledge to a new generation.
Bio
Wilverna Reece has been weaving baskets since 1978. Karuk tribal elders, Grace and Madeline Davis, taught her to gather and prepare the necessary materials to weave traditional Karuk baskets. Born in Yreka, California, Reece is a Karuk Indian and has served on the Karuk Tribal Council. She is proficient in the skills and knowledge needed to weave many types of Karuk baskets. Since 1983, she has been teaching weaving to community members in the traditional Karuk territory, which overlaps California and Oregon. She has demonstrated her cultural traditions across the nation, specifically in Oregon, California, and Virginia, as well as in local schools. Reece has also been a Master Artist in the Oregon Folklife Network’s Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program and in the Alliance for California Traditional Arts' Apprenticeship Program. Reece incorporates her native Karuk language into the lessons.
