Sweetgrass and Fancy Work Baskets by Sherry Gould

Sweetgrass Fancy Work Basket, Ash Splint and Sweetgrass, Abenaki

Before the colonists arrived in America, the Abenaki tribe of New England lived an environmentally efficient and culturally sustainable lifestyle (Porter). Unfortunately, with the arrival of white settlers came the need for adaptation. Engaging in capitalism became necessary for the survival of the tribe. Therefore, many Abenaki turned to their basketry as a way to generate a modest income, which allowed them to remain afloat in a capitalist system (Porter). In the 1800s, tourists attractions, such as the White Mountains, became a popular place to sell baskets (Porter). The Abenaki continued to use traditional materials such as sweetgrass and brown ash splints in these baskets but changed the styles in order to attract more customers. For example, Victorian women would purchase work baskets, like the one pictured below, as souvenirs and use them to hold things like knitting supplies or other small household items. These fancy baskets, decorated with colored dyes, “appealed to the Victorian fondness for embellishment and elaboration” (Lester 154). Often the Abenaki vendors—almost always men, as women would remain at home with the children while their husbands travelled to sell the baskets—would dress in what was perceived as ‘traditional’ Indian clothing, wearing extra furs and feathers to play up their ‘Indian-ness' and increase their sales (154).

An 1890 Petition

It is clear in an 1890 petition, written by the Abenaki of Quebec to the proprietors of hotels in the White Mountains, that the European presence was hindering the Abenaki ability to survive as an Indian nation (Phillips 52). The petition asks, “Not to let any but Indians or those married to Indian women” sell their baskets or other goods on the hotels’ properties (52). The petition emphasizes the need of the Abenaki to both maintain their culture and make a living. Selling baskets was the perfect way of fulfilling their need because baskets allowed them to continue a traditional art important to their culture while also making a profit. Restricting the opportunity to only Indian vendors would ensure that American Indian basketmakers had a constant demand for fancy baskets.  A similar opportunity today is the ability to label items as Indian made, which increases the monetary value of the item (Upham).

Sherry Gould: Sweetgrass and Fancy Work Baskets

Pictured below is a modern example of a fancy work basket made by Sherry Gould, a New Hampshire basket maker and certified member of the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe (Gould). Sherry Gould has apprenticed under Abenaki basketmakers, Newt Washburn and Jeanne Brink (Gould). She also became the first Abenaki basket maker to be juried by the League of NH Craftsman in the state of New Hampshire (Gould). Sherry Gould hopes to continue the tradition of basket making, an important part of Abenaki culture, into the next generation and beyond (Gould). She also hopes that her "modern works of art will be appreciated by current and future generations" (Gould). Both Sherry Gould and her husband, Bill Gould, demonstrate their art in various museums and fairs in the hopes of spreading their culture to the general public (Gould).

This basket is important to Abenaki culture because it demonstrates the continuance of a traditional Abenaki art form. It tells the story of how baskets have changed throughout the years. The basket is made of sweetgrass and, at eight inches wide by four inches tall, would likely be used to hold ladies’ needles and thread, had it been made and sold in the mid- to late-nineteenth century (Porter). The basket’s cover and sweetgrass handle allow it to be a sturdy and reliable container for sewing kits and its green dyes and braided design make it a beautiful basket to look at. In addition to being a practical and attractive souvenir, Abenaki baskets contained a wealth of cultural tradition, stemming from the materials from which they were made (Phillips). As Ruth Phillips points out in her book, Trading Identities: The Souvenir in Native North American Art from the Northeast, 1700-1900, “The widespread use of sweetgrass as a sacred ritual is ancient” (Phillips 270). Sweetgrass is believed to bring good luck to those who obtain it and is sworn to ward off evil spirits and purify any location, according to many Indian legends (270).