Black Material Geographies - Episode 3

The Lacebark Tree, Pt. 1

In this episode of Black Material Geographies, Teju Adisa-Farrar speaks with:

• Steeve Buckridge,  professor of African Caribbean history at Grand Valley State University in Michigan

• Nadine Hall, Jamaican Textile Designer and Fiber Artist

• Teju’s mom, Opal Palmer Adisa

Lacebark’s Roots in Jamaica

• Learn about Cockpit Country, Jamaica and its importance to the country’s ecosystem as the largest forest in Jamaica.

• Steeve recounts the first written mention of the lacebark tree

• Teju breaks down the history of the colonization of Jamaica, as it once was initially under Spanish rule, which led to the wiping of the Taino population, and became a British colony until 1962.

• Steeve explains how the knowledge of using lacebark tree as textile derived from enslaved women turning to the forest after initially being given poor textiles from slave owners

Textile Memories from Childhood

• Nadine Hall expresses her influence and inspiration traces back to the women in her life, her mother and great-grandmother

• Are there any lacebark trees left? A large amount have been lost due to deforestation, but Steeve is hopeful there still may be some surviving trees

• Nadine’s textile based art intertwines and elevates her mother’s skill in dressmaking

• Cultural knowledge has long been passed down by women, as shown through Steeve’s lacebark research which brought him to Accompong, a Maroon village in Jamaica

• Sharing familial knowledge: Teju and her mother share stories about Teju's grandmother regarding custom clothing and teaching neighbors how to crochet and needlepoint.