Photo by Heather Mitchell

 

How Baskets Are Made

The process of basketmaking is a long and difficult journey that spans from the gathering of the materials to the final steps of weaving. The life of a basket begins within the ash tree; however, a suitable ash tree can be hard to find (Mundell). Additionally, not every ash tree is good for basketmaking. Only those that are "straight and free of knots" can be pounded into splints (Tree and Tradition). Once the wood is pounded, a basketmaker can finally weave the splints to make a basket. The long process of making a basket is just one of the reasons why basketmakers are so dedicated and connected to their work. Although all baskets are woven in a similar way, there are countless possibilities for the finished product (Mundell). In this archive alone there are sweetgrass baskets, hat baskets, hair baskets, fancy baskets, and cowiss baskets. Every basket within this archive showcases immense skill and a tradition that has been passed down for generations.

 

Connection to a Creation Story

"Gloosekap came first of all into this country, into the land of the Wabanaki, next to the sunrise. There were no Indians here then. And in this way he made men: He took his bow and arrows and shot at trees, the basket trees, the ash. Then Indians came out of the bark of the ash trees. - Wabanaki creation story told by Molly Sepsis, published in Alonquin Legends by Charles G. Leland" (Mundell 29).

The Wabanaki creation story underscores the importance of basketry in Abenaki culture by emphasizing that the ash tree is the origin of human life. As splints made from the ash tree are the main traditional material for Abenaki basketry, the creation story suggests that basketry is a part of what makes Abenaki people Abenaki. If the original people had been made of a different material, they would not be the same. For example, in Dawnland: Abenaki Creation Story, the creator first attempts to make people from stone. The stone people, however, are not acceptable because they have no compassion. The creator's second attempt (making people out of ash) is successful because they understand and respect nature: "These people of Ash were growing and green, in harmony with their Mother, the Earth. Their skins were soft, and breathed in all of life. They shared their breath with all the living things" (Dawnland). The creation story illustrates how the ash tree is as important as the people. Like in basketry, the material conveys meaning and is as important as the basket itself.

 

What is a Fancy Basket?

Fancy baskets, such as the small fancy basket with cowiss or the sweetgrass fancy basket, represent a period of time of Wabanaki adaptability. Wabanaki basketmakers adapted by changing their basketstyles in order to continue a traditional craft and become financially independent (Neuman 89). Tourism, which was popular in New England during the late 1800s, helped with this goal (Mundell). In fact, people from all over the United States traveled to resorts such as the White Mountains in NH and Bar Harbor in Maine ("Ash and Birchbark: The As and Bs of Traditional Baskets."). In response to this boom in tourism, Abenaki basketmakers (along with craftspeople from other tribes) set up booths close to the resorts and sold smaller baskets that had more decoration than utilitarian baskets (known as "fancy" baskets): "Most fancy baskets incorporated sweet grass, Hierochloe odorata, either combed or braided, and used various decorative weaves" ("Ash and Birchbark"). These smaller baskets were popular with the tourists because they could bring them back home as souvenirs ("Ash and Birchbark"). The "fancy basket period" not only fostered the creation of new basket styles but allowed many basketmakers to become financially independent (Neuman 89). In her essay, "Basketry as Economic Enterprise and Cultural Revitalization: The Case of the Wabanaki Tribes of Maine," Lisa K. Neuman argues, "[basketmaking is] a form of individual and tribal economic enterprise that has a long history in the region and that is generally accepted by non-Indians as non-threatening, benign, and positive" (89). 

The fact that fancy baskets became more prevalent during the New England tourist era in the late 19th century is a testament to the adaptability and the will to survive of the Abenaki tribe. In addition to being able to make money from their trade, Abenaki basketmakers perpetuated their culture through the making of baskets (89). Abenaki basketmaker Judy Dow, explains the importance of adaptation, "By adapting to social, political and environmental changes I am following in the footsteps of my ancestors. The creation of fancy baskets was an adaptation that filled a need for survival for the Abenaki people at the turn of the last century" (Dow). Abenaki cultural objects coupled with the continued presence of Abenaki writers, basket makers, artists, and others, help the Abenaki tribe break down the stereotype of the "disappearing" Indian. By making these baskets visible and accessible, the archive reaffirms the continued American Indian presence in New England.

 

Basketmakers Today

Today, basketmakers such as Bill and Sherry Gould, Judy Dow, Liz Charlebois, Jesse Larocque, and Jeanne Brink continue to revitalize and nurture the tradition of basketmaking. Organizations such as the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance and the NH-VT Abenaki Basketmakers Alliance bring basketmakers together with the goal of preserving the tradition and making it easier for basketmakers to sell their wares. By ensuring that fellow basketmakers are able to generate an income from basketry, these organizations succeed in their goal of preservation because it encourages the younger generation to take up the craft.

 

Works Cited

"Ash and Birchbark: The As and Bs of Traditional Baskets." U.S. National Park Service. N.p., 27 July 2012. Web. 31 August, 2012.

Dawnland: Abenaki Creation Story. Youtube Video, n.d.

Dow, Judy. “We’re Still Here”, n.d. We’re Still Here. Web.

Mundell, Kathleen. North by Northeast: Wabanaki, Akwesasne Mohawk, and Tuscarora Traditional Arts. Tilbury House Publishers, 2008. Print.

Pouilot, Paul. Interview With Paul Pouilot, 2010. Interviewed, filmed and edited by Steven Daigle for the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMCRZlBtmaE&feature=youtube_gdata_player.

Tree and Tradition. Hudson Museum, 2010. Web. 31 Aug. 2012.