Luwana QuitiQuit, Apache Doll

Luwana Quitiquit (Pomo, November 13, 1941 – December 23, 2011) was a Native American administrator, activist, and basket weaver. During the Occupation of Alcatraz she worked as one of the cooks. Her career was as an administrator for various California Indian organizations. Subsequently, she became a well-known doll maker, basketweaver, jeweler, and teacher of Pomo artworks.

In November of 1969 during her employment at U.C. Berkeley, she was one of the first to land on Alcatraz Island where she remained until the occupation ended in 1971. Quitiquit received her BA degree in Sociology from U.C. Berkeley in 1977. Since then, she became very active as a scholar and researcher, and worked as director of various California Indian organizations where she was at the forefront of the changes and challenges in California Indian country. She also traveled to New Zealand and Australia where she met with indigenous leaders who encouraged her to act on preserving her Pomo culture and heritage.

Quitiquit learned Pomo basketry from renowned weavers such as Mabel McKay, and became highly proficient at making Pomo baby cradles and open-twined baskets. She believed that anyone wanting to become a weaver must also learn the methods for gathering, cleaning, and storing the basketry materials; thus, she felt strongly about educating and teaching basketry, and began demonstrating basketry, and speaking engagements.

Quitiquit was a visionary and always had an idea to promote and better her art work. She was an expert abalone jeweler, and produced exquisite bead work. As a businesswoman, she owned and operated the Pomo Fine Art Gallery in Lucerne, CA and traveled extensively throughout promoting and selling her artwork.
(https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/luwana-quitiquit-obituary?id=19979444)