Coffee @ 10 with Renee Wasson Dillard, traditional Anishinaabe natural fiber artist and teacher

Renee ‘Wasson’ Dillard is a traditional Anishinaabe natural fiber artist and teacher,
raised in Anishinaabe communities of Michigan. The art of natural fibers and
weaving was passed on to Wasson at an early age, by both her mother and her
paternal grandmother. Wasson started weaving her first yarn sash, at age nine. It
came natural to her, and thus began a lifetime of artistic expression and
community teaching through traditional Anishinaabe approaches. Throughout the
years, she has also learned from other Anishinaabe community teachers, and
continues on her path to re-discover knowledge and further sharpen her skills.
Wasson uses various indigenous materials in teaching, and to produce traditional
pieces. In staying true to Anishinaabe methods, she harvests and processes the
materials herself. Such materials commonly include basswood, birch bark, cedar,
cattails, spruce, milkweed, red willow, black ash, sweetgrass and bulrush.
Whichever the fiber, she prefers to teach the discipline in its entirety, from plant
botany, environment and weather, seasons and life cycles, responsible-harvesting
techniques, natural dyes, processing methods, Anishinaabe stories, songs,
ceremonial teachings, historical connections, and related Anishinaabe language.
Even when the workshop focus is limited to the creation of the art piece, she
provides teachings surrounding all that accompanies it. Wasson strives to fully pass
it on to new generations, in the same time-honored manner she received it, and to
instill within each learner the relevance of revitalizing such Odawa customs.

Wasson has performed countless presentations, consultations, and exhibitions at
universities, museums, and community organizations. She has taught an
immeasurable number of workshops and classes, from one-to-one mentoring to
classes of thirty or more, from young children at schools and day camps to elders
and families in Anishinaabe communities, often without receiving monetary
compensation. In 2010, Wasson was the recipient of the Michigan Heritage Award
for her lifetime achievement in Natural Fiber Arts. Wasson has taught, mentored,
and educated a great number of recipients and maintains an open-door policy at her
home, to those determined to learn.
In 2018 a donated studio was placed in the back yard on her reservation. Being able
to share the entire process including gathering and processing in a familiar
environment allows for complete teaching in any season. This helps Tribal
communities to reclaim their own weaving traditions on their land where
generations have lived.
Wasson is a recipient of First People Fund 2022 Community Service Award. This
award is designed to support essential bearers of cultural practice to carry
forward their wisdom and help Native communities heal and thrive. First People
Fund recognizes 4 to 6 Native artists each year who have worked selflessly
throughout their lives to share their cultural knowledge and ancestral gifts with
their communities.
She has volunteered a great deal of time and processed materials used to teach,
motivated by her love of fibers, weaving and revitalizing Anishinaabe ways. From
her earliest exposure of creating functional art in finger weaving, through more
than 50 years of various fiber work and instructing others, Wasson is a master
artist of Anishinaabe natural fiber skills and knowledge.

“I believe that the knowledge of our ancestors’ lifeways belongs with Native
people today. It is through this enlightenment and understanding of our unique
history, which we can begin to heal our community from within and establish a
conscious and empowering positive direction for our future.“