Living with a Collection: Mel and Sandra Hankla

On the left is a Lally House, porcupine quill and moose hair embroidered bag with two pieces of young Kahlil Zender's work (at 14 years old) hanging just above. The tomahawk is by Richard Guthrie. The knife laying horizontal above is by Frank House, the burl ash noggin is by Mike Buss, the quilled neck knife sheath in the center was made in1984 is by Jan Zender, it holds a Hershel House knife. The quilled sheath to the left is by young Ian Zender, at age 12, and it holds a Ken Gahagan knife. The Mic-mac horn hanging with the Joe Mills bag is by Lee Larkin and the quilled strap is by Lally House. An Aubrey "Newt" Williams axe hangs on the back of this bag, with a Charlie Miller measure/striker hanging from an iron chain. The "bear-bone" handled knife on the strap is also by Charles Miller. On the right is a quilled sheath by Rochelle Dale holding an Indian trade knife by Jim Hayes and the knife hanging next to the bag is a Hershel. Joe Mills made the sheath. Barely visible behind Rochelle's sheath is my most cherished piece of quillwork, a neck knife sheath made by Ian Zender when he was only 9 years old. It holds a Cousin Willie White knife. The spoon hanging from the heart is the first thing Hershel ever made for me, while I watched on a beautiful fall day in 1983 much like today...

Copy and photo by Mel Hankla.