Corn Basket

Mrs. Sturgeon showed Jones how she wove strips of black ash strips to make this corn basket. She began by using six basket splints that were about four feet long and laid them out so they crossed over each other to create the bottom of the basket.  The wood strips woven around those splints to make the bottom of the basket were smaller ¼ inch strips and the strips used on the side of the basket were larger ½ inch strips. She held the basket splints on a flat surface with her left hand and used her right hand to weave the strips through them in an over-under pattern, as shown here in the drawing from Jones' notebook. Mrs. Sturgeon told Jones that the basket is left to sit for 24 hours to allow it to fully tighten. 

Here is drawing of the basket handle and rim.

Shkakamikwe – Mother Earth

Black ash basket making continues within Anishinaabe communities and families today. Children learn to identify and harvest ideal trees, prepare splints, and weave baskets from parents, grandparents, and other culture bearers in the community. By learning to weave together, community members from all generations can reconnect with cultural traditions and strengthen community bonds. Anishinaabe (Odawa) natural fiber and textile artist, Wasson (Renee) Dillard, says that these gatherings “make a place for our ancestors to come and join us.” 

Black ash basket making is also a process of collaboration with Mother Earth. Anishinaabe basket makers ask for permission to take a Black Ash tree’s life, promising that its sacrifice will not be wasteful and the tree’s life will simply take a new form. This partnership with nature displays the distinction between non-Native people and the Anishinaabek. Non-Native people often refer to nature in terms of resources, and management decisions frequently focus on extraction. Anishinaabek, in contrast, view plants and animals as relatives, and their interactions are relational and respectful.

In the video below, members of the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa share the importance of their relationship to Mother Earth and all creatures. As you listen to them, think about how environmental concerns like the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) are impacting the Anishinaabek and their living traditions.

A Journey into the Past by the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, posted on December 8, 2017.