Lena Jumbo

Lena is a member of the Ahousaht Tribe. Lena has been weaving baskets for most of here life. She is one of the few weavers today who has the knowledge to still weave the Traditional Maquinna Hat. This hat was only worn by the men and was named Maquinna because the Great Chief Maquinna wore this hat.

This was originally a whaler's hat and was worn by all the whalers in the hunt for the whales. The whales were towed to the shore and butchered and all the meat was used to feed the entire tribe. On preparation for the whaling expeditions, the men kept themselves pure and did not partake in relationships with their wife's for one year. There was a lot of preparation that the men did before they went out on these whaling hunts. They prayed to the mighty Creator for the entire year for success and safety of the entire whaling party.

Lena is fluent in the Nuu-chah-nulth Language and takes a lot of time to share her knowledge with the younger generation. She is very active in keeping our culture alive by sharing her knowledge with those who ask.