The wooden sculpture is made from a blackened weathered beam that in the carving process revealed itself to be white pine. White pine has been so heavily forested in the West that it’s now considered rare. This beam has been carved to create a wooden column of folded and stacked blankets. In person, you’ll notice that the white pine column is still giving sap. It’s a testimony to this enduring resource, and this beam in particular, likely cut 50–100 years ago, that still gives off sap once carved. The cracks in the wood are called ‘checking’ and are also evidence of the wood behaving like a living and breathing material.
The title references a talking stick, which is a staff or cane used by some Native American tribes in the context of council meetings. Traditionally, the person who holds the staff has permission to speak while others listen; the stick is then passed, giving each person the opportunity to contribute. This practice ensures everyone’s voice is heard. When I was a kid, my mom – an Indian Education Specialist for our local school district – used a talking stick in her storytelling circles. In this context, the talking stick was shared by multi-generational participants – youth, parents, younger siblings, and elders. It was a tool for learning cultural wisdom, sharing stories, and developing public speaking and listening skills. My mom likes to say we have two ears and one mouth, so we’re supposed listen twice as hard.
