camafeema : january ‘21
This month’s pigment, Camafeema, is a pale dusky violet hematite whose pastel hue may be due to high levels of kaolinite or other chalk-like minerals that are mixed in with the hematite body of the rock. The pigment, foraged by Tilke Elkins on Kalapuya lands in what is now called Oregon, is named in honor of Kommema Kalapuya elder Esther Stutzman’s great-great-grandfather, Chief Halo ((? - 1892), who was also known as Camafeema, meaning “ferns on the ground.”
According to Santiam Kalapuya historian David G Lewis, Halo built fish traps on the Row River, near the town of Cottage Grove, close to where this pigment was gathered. Hematite is thought to be the result of “Great Oxygen Events” that took place two million years ago when the concentrations of oxygen produced by cyanobacteria were so strong in the atmosphere that they caused mass extinctions. Violet hematite is a bit of a mystery to geologists, as its chemical make-up is identical to that of red hematite. Its purple hue is thought to be a result of larger-sized particles.
contributor : tilke elkins
Tilke Elkins is a painter and social practice artist, & the founding director of Wild Pigment Project. Tilke has been exploring the world of wild pigments since 1999, the year she discovered that grass chlorophyll could be mixed with rice starch and used as a printing ink. Resonance with powerful ochre sites as a teen left a deep impression, and in 2008 she stopped using synthetic pigments altogether and began an in-depth exploration of ‘wild’ pigments — those found by foraging outside in urban and remote wild places. She paints on large reclaimed wood panels, foraged objects, and outdoor surfaces.
Tilke fosters connection and collaboration between international pigment artists, teaches workshops and online programs, and consults with organizations that seek to integrate pigment studies into their curriculums. www.tilkeelkins.com
22% donation recipient : Komemma Cultural Protection Association
Kalapuya elder Esther Stutzman uses funding from Kommema Cultural Protection Association to run the American Indian Youth Camp — now in its 40th year! — where kids learn Kalapuya language and culture. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is the ancestral homelands of the Kalapuya, who are made up of eight independent groups with three different dialects. Stutzman, who is Yoncalla Kalapuya, the most southerly group, worked with the Oregon cities of Eugene & Springfield to establish a series of carved stones known as ‘Talking Stones,’ which were placed in a natural area that spans the two cities. Each stone bears a different Kalapuya word which relates to the land, including one which reads ‘Camafeema,’ after which this month’s pigment is named. Pigment contributor Tilke Elkins helps maintain the Talking Stones by using local wild pigments to repair occasional graffiti damage.
Esther Stutzman & David G Lewis have initiated a campaign to rename ‘Lane County,’ Oregon, ‘Kalapuya County.’ Go to change.org to sign their petition, and to www.mrgfoundation.org to donate directly to KCPA.