Magazines - Tribal Art Autumn 2009

By Nicole Mullen

Introduction
Over thousands of years, the native peoples of North America perfected the art of basket weaving, manipulating grasses, bark, roots, and other plant materials into baskets that served a variety of functions, including gathering, storing, and preparing and cooking food. Women used basketry cradles to hold babies, and basketry caps and hats were woven for personal adornment. Baskets were also incorporated into ritual activities. Today, many Native North Americans uphold this cultural legacy. Although no longer a necessity, weavers continue to make baskets for sale, for personal use, to give as gifts, and for ceremonial purposes.
Basketry is one of the oldest North American crafts. Weavers have passed down their skills and knowledge from one generation to the next. Manufacturing techniques, designs, and materials vary from coast to coast, but peoples living in close proximity to one another, who share common cultural traits and access to the same natural resources, typically weave baskets with similar characteristics. Even so, every weaver makes baskets with unique attributes.
Basket weaving is hard work and requires a great deal of skill and patience. Basketry materials are always soaked in water before use. In the past, in warm-weather climates, women did little weaving in the summertime because the hot weather dried out the materials quickly and required the strands to be continually remoistened. Windy weather also dried out materials and proved troublesome for the weaver.