Loren Bommelyn is a tradition bearer for the Tolowa

Tolowa

The Tolowa are a Native American tribe. They still reside in their traditional territories in northwestern California and southern Oregon. Tolowa are members of the federally recognized Smith River Rancheria, Elk Valley Rancheria, Confederated Tribes of Siletz, as well as the unrecognized Tolowa...

 tribe. He has dedicated himself to preserving the traditional songs, language, and basket

Basket

A basket is a container which is traditionally constructed from stiff fibres, which can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials such as horsehair, baleen, or metal wire can be used. Baskets are...

ry. He is the foremost ceremonial leader of the tribe, and its most prolific basketweaver

Basket weaving

Basket weaving is the process of weaving unspun vegetable fibres into a basket or other similar form. People and artists who weave baskets are called basketmakers and basket weavers.Basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials•anything that will bend and form a shape...

.

Work in linguistics and education

Loren Bommelyn is both Tolowa and Karuk

Karuk

Karuk is an indigenous people of California in the United States.The tribal headquarters, located off State Route 96, is in the town of Happy Camp, California. Currently the tribe has three tribal board meeting places, in Yreka, Happy Camp, and Orleans...

. He is a fluent speaker of the Tolowa language

Tolowa language

The Tolowa language is a member of the Pacific Coast subgroup of the Athabaskan language family. It is spoken by Tolowa Indians in southern Oregon and northern California. There are only a handful of remaining fully fluent native speakers...

 and taught for many years at Del Norte High School

Del Norte High School (Crescent City, California)

Del Norte High School, located in Crescent City, California is a California public high school serving students from grades 9 through 12.It is accredited for six years by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges as of 2008....

 in Crescent City, California

Crescent City, California

Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...

. He earned his Masters Degree in Linguistics from the University of Oregon

University of Oregon

-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...

. After years of studying with Tolowa elders, Bommelyn has published educational material about the Tolowa language. He played a role in convincing the University of California

University of California

The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...

system accept Native American languages as part of its entrance requirements for world language.

Bommelyn helped establish and currently teaches at Tah-Ah-Dun Indian Magnet Charter School in Crescent City, where his wife, Lena Bommelyn is also employed. Of his work at Tah-Ah-Dun, Loren says, "It's important for students to know they can move about freely in American society and that they can be open and successful. We try to provide them opportunities for expansion and exploration.

Basketry

While women make most baskets among Northern California tribes, men traditionally weave open-work baskets with entire plant shoots. This requires both extreme physical strength and dexterity. Bommelyn specializes in these open-work, utilitarian baskets, especially those made with hazel shoots. He wove his first basket at the age of 12. Today he is known particularly for his work baskets and baby cradles.

Quote

There's a fancy part of the basket and a realistic part. You want to strive for perfection, but at the same time you want to make it for a function... I want my baskets to be used. The old Indians say that things like to be used, that when they aren't used they get lonesome.