In 2021, the Alaska office of the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center partnered with Tsimshian master artist John Hudson on the “Voices from Cedar: Digital Learning” project to help Alaska Native artists learn about Tsimshian, Tlingit and Haida whistles, an important art form that had been dormant. John worked with Museum Specialist Dawn Biddison (project manager and editor) to produce in-depth instructional videos on making whistles, teach virtual workshops and give a public webinar.

The videos presented in this collection introduce the Southeast Alaska tradition of making wind instruments with a focus on whistles. John shares his in-depth knowledge, and he teaches about the materials, tools and techniques for making cedar whistles. The 12-part instructional set comes from footage shot in 2015 at two events organized by the Center: a week-long artists’ residency at the Anchorage Museum and a weekend workshop at the Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan. Also included is an edited version of the webinar, a trouble-shooting video completed after the virtual workshops, and short videos with John discussing whistles he studied from the Natural Museum of Natural History collections.

This project was made possible through the generous support of The CIRI Foundation, Smithsonian Institution’s Recovering Voices program, Alaska State Council on the Arts & National Endowment for the Arts, First National Bank of Alaska, Sealaska Heritage Institute, and the generous supporters of the Arctic Studies Center in Alaska.

NOTE: The knowledge that Alaska Natives (Indigenous peoples of Alaska) have shared on this site is their cultural heritage, and they have cultural property rights for this knowledge. Please utilize what you learn from Alaska Natives with respect to their rights, which includes not using what you learn for personal gain such as selling artwork derived from this knowledge. To learn more about how to appreciate Alaska Native cultures respectfully, please go to the collection https://learninglab.si.edu/q/ll-c/Ha7AjCcnSBrgNbJt#r/44789
on this site where you will find a video and additional resources to learn more.

Contributor: Dawn Biddison

Tags: Alaska, Native art, Tsimshian, Haida, Tlingit, Alaska Native, Southeast Alaska, Northwest Coast, Native art, Indigenous art, whistle, wind instrument, carving, red cedar, curved knife, crooked knife, museum, education, anthropology, museum studies, John Hudson, Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center in Alaska (#arcticstudies)