In March 2009, Thomas Eban (ama Mja) drove up to the parking lot of Montagnard Dega Association with weaving examples done by his wife, H Ju Nie (ami Mja). Later, my wife, Betsy Renfrew, developed a friendship with her and began to video document traditional backstrap weaving techniques in order to preserve them for young people from the community who were fast losing the skill and interest and to demonstrate to the American art world the presence of highly skilled artists in Greensboro newcomer communities. Although Betsy and I are products of fine arts programs in the Western tradition, we were struck by the integrity of her work and individual creativity that extended the tradition, history and culture of her community which had been transplanted to America, a foreign land. Above all, her modest means, like those of the remaining Montagnard weavers still active, highlighted a strong connection between artist and community that oftentimes in our own professional experiences seemed tenuous. Her traditional pieces (blankets, dresses) were meant to be worn and seen at special functions and ceremonies so any discussion I sought to initiate about the tnumber of hours, cost of materials and profit were not in the mix. With so much artists' talk dominated by economic survival, reputation and career building, she reminded us of North Carolina craftspersons and artisans of an earlier time.
In the summer of 2009, Betsy was carefully researching the examples, identifying their symbolism and construction. She also learned a bit of Rhade to better understand ami Mja's attitude and approach to her work.
At Green Hill Center for the Arts' December 2009 Winter Show, Betsy helped ami Mja enter the exhibit and have her work displayed with other prominent NC artists' and craftspersons' works.
A year or two later, Betsy brought examples of ami Mja's fine work with other Montagnard weavers' examples to the Textile Museum in Washington DC. Mattiebelle Gittinger, one of the foremost scholars on Southeast Asian textile arts, was impressed by the examples and fine skills they represented and was very pleased to see the tradition continuing here in the U.S. by Montagnard women.
Based on the many youtube videos that Betsy published featuring ami Mja's work and the work of others, Laverne Waddington, a noted blogger and world traveler interested in traditional backstrap weaving, made a trip from her home in Bolivia to visit both ami Mja and Ngach Rahlan (ami Suan) and see their techniques in person.
At the 2015 Smithsonian Folk Festival, ami Mja demonstrated her skills when the Greensboro Historical Museum chose to turn over its entire first floor to the youth of the Montagnard American Organization (now under MDA) which organized a wonderful presentation of art, culture, traditional and contemporary music and sound.
Finally, with the support of NC Folklife Office's Sally Peterson, Betsy nominated both ami Mja and ami Suan to be recognized by the NC Folklife office, the NC Arts Council and Governor McCrory with the 2016 NC Heritage Award, the highest honor traditional artists and craftspersons can receive in our state. With Dock Rmah, a 1996 winner based on his musical accomplishments, the Montagnard community and Guilford County boasts three prestigious artists. They are not "refugee" artists, but true contributors to the arts and culture of the state. Ami Mja was received at the Governor's Mansion in Raleigh, dined with other award recipients from across the state, and later that evening appeared on the WUNC-TV broadcast of the award ceremonies.
We will miss our friend and fellow artist. Her extraordinary accomplishment, creativity, skill and vision, while always appreciated by the Montagnard community, are now part of North Carolina's artistic heritage.
