Shy Watters is a member of shishalh Nation who also has Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh (Squamish), Tla’amin, and Kwakwaka’wakw ancestry. Her intricate and beautiful designs integrate the unique patterns of her rich cultural background into her work. Her preferred medium is cedar. Shy has woven with both red and yellow cedar for over 19 years, and continues to explore her art with tenacity and passion. Intergenerational sharing is very important to Shy. Her granddaughter River was born while she was working on this project. Now three years old, River is a keen student of Shy’s cedar teachings and helps where she can.
The innovative patterns used in Shy’s cedar hats are well known on the Sunshine Coast and her work is sought after for cultural ceremonies. Ms. Watters also offers weaving courses both on the Sunshine Coast and throughout BC, amidst her other commitments to shishalh Nation and her family.
