Myrna Elliott

The blanket speaks to me

Myrna Crossley Elliott is a Coast Salish Weaver with Indigenous roots from the Esquimalt and Songhees Peoples. She is a Songhees Band Member through her mother’s side and English Settler from her father’s side.

Myrna has been weaving since 1993, through the teachings of Master Weaver Rita (Louis) Bob of the WSANEC Nation- who continues to be Myrna’s life-long mentor and close friend. Her weavings are normally commissioned and are often created for ceremonial use. Her latest weavings were commissioned for the University of Victoria. A nobility blanket was woven for the Installation and Welcoming Ceremony for UVIC’S new President, Kevin Hall for the President of UVIC and the other 8×4-foot piece was unveiled as a public art installation at the University of Victoria.

Myrna primarily works on a 6×6-foot traditional upright loom. She prefers to use natural dyes and resorts to commercial dyes only when the colour cannot be sourced otherwise.