Her teacher was a mother, aunt, or grandmother who, in addition to spiritual guidance, provided her with training in the selection and gathering of materials and the techniques and aesthetics of artistic creation. A girl's first efforts were always given away to an elder in hopes that the elder's skill might be transmitted to the younger woman. An especially gifted young protege could be given the name of an elder teacher and devote her life to perfecting her skills. Despite dramatic changes in the past 100 years, including the loss of original homelands and efforts by schools, church and government to eradicate tribal culture, Plateau women have kept their aesthetic traditions alive. As in ages past, Plateau artists today learn form their mothers, aunts and grandmothers.
Instruction also takes place in school classrooms and public workshops.
Artists of the modern generation often hold university degrees or teach the traditional arts to others, for example, at Salish-Kootenai College in Montana or Crow's Shadow Institute in Pendleton, Oregon. Some women discover their gift later in life as they gain new appreciation for tribal cultural traditions and the need to preserve artistic knowledge for the next generation. Today, there are men, too, who have developed their skills in art forms traditionally practiced by women. Their sophisticated weaving techniques and design skills have transformed these utilitarian objects into works of art. Hideworking -Animal skins have always been an important resource for Plateau artists.