This small, elegant basket is made by the Nuu-chah-nulth people. Commonly referred to as Nootka, the Nuu-chah-nulth reside on the westcoast of Vancouver Island. While they are primarily for their woodworking, cedar canoes, and large multifamily housing; they also produce very fine basket work. In the 1860’s, the Nuu-chah-nulth started […]
native american basket
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In the southeastern states, the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) provided a wonderful basket-making material. Unlike other pine trees, the longleaf’s needle-like leaves can average 5 to 8 inches in length and can grow as long as 16 inches! The needles, which are naturally flexible and supple, are collected and boiled […]
The Pacific Northwest is well known for its amazing baskets made from cedar and local grasses. Some baskets made in this are were woven so tightly they were able to easily hold water! The lidded basket that pictured here is approximately 2 inches tall and is common to the Makah […]
Each tribe has very distinct patterns that are used in their basketry. This geometric “step-like” pattern is seen often in the crafts of the Tohono O’Odham (formally known as the Papago). The Tohono O’Odham are primarily in the deserts of southeast Arizona. Traditionally, it was the women of the tribe […]
This delicate basket is from a California tribe named Karuk, meaning “upriver people”. The Karuk were the only tribe in California to grow tobacco plants. Traditional basket materials for the Karuk are willow, pine root, bear grass, maidenhair fern, and woodwardia. The four central ‘lightning’ lines utilize a quilled technique […]