Margaret Hill

When I do the work, I feel a connection to my people and my past. I especially enjoy working with sweetgrass. I call it “happy grass.” It is one of the four sacred herbs of my people. It's wonderful smell makes me feel happier.

“Margaret is the very essence of carrying the old style of craftwork from the beginning of the last century into the new millennium and working to ensure that these things are passed along to all people in our community that want to learn. Very casually and unexpectedly, her teachings of sacredness and value come out in her words and actions in the making of different object. She may be racing out a pattern on Birch Bark and talking about keeping the edges off of the knots in the bark and she will go into a story about the Old People saying that the Bark should be ready for peeling when the Popple leaves are as big as Bearers ears. It is stories and comments like this that make her classes special to be involved in. You know you are always going to come away with more than just the knowledge of how to make an item.” - Sandra Blake, Nominator