WOAD WARRIORS

The Woad Warriors Project started with a conversation about the invasiveness of woad in environments where it does not naturally occur.  Woad is native to Eurasia has been historically grown and used by various cultures throughout Europe who extracted the indigo compound contained within its leaves and seeds to produce a blue dye and pigment.  Woad is a historical dye plant and was used to create a body paint along with pigment that could be used in painting on canvas or other materials.

Isatis tinctoria grows throughout North America within rangelands,  farmlands, and disturbed soils or ecosystems resulting from human activities. In Southern Oregon the woad plant has become a pioneer species in a landscape that was disturbed by a fire that burnt much of the native forest.  In this torched landscape the woad is growing as a pioneer species along with other native plants that have managed to take root in the soil.  Here in Oregon woad is considered an Class B Noxious Weed by the USDA.  I reached out to the the USDA and spoke with a representative who manages the lands in Southern Oregon.  Out of the initial conversation with the USDA I was able to acquire a location of where some of the stands of woad were growing and a site map was created and the vision of Woad Warriors was brought to life.

Thanks to all the amazing artisans and knowledgeable friends who work with dyes and indigo extraction we made a trip down to Southern Oregon for a woad harvest and dye extraction at the campground where we stayed.