ivy Coleman
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Ivy Coleman is a traditional elder living in Coen. She is one of the last active Master Weavers still making their traditional Fig Bark net baskets. Ivy was aunt to Margaret Sellers and now lives in Margaret's house with her elderly husband. Margaret was the youngest weaver in the Coen group of elders and was highly regarded by her community and Cape York as a custodian of valuable knowledge that reaches back to a continuum. Margaret passed on while still young. Her 2 daughters carry her inner strength which can be seen reflected in their commitment to culture in the community.
The 6 remaining elderly weavers have arrived at old age and find it too difficult to get their materials and say their fingers are too arthritic to weave any more. This posses a danger to the fibre knowledge being lost. This hand down from generation to generation allows this knowledge to be passed on. It keeps it alive for generations to come. Ivy teaches in the school and has been driving a renaissance of Coen's basket weaving patterns into the younger generation.
Master Weaver Ivy Coleman is holding her Material Cultural Knowledge as a living memory for her family and her people.
