Basketry has always been in the fabric of everyday Native life. Before outside contact baskets were still being made, used, and cherished. Nowadays, we still have families that teach & weave baskets with all their family members.
Today many trees that weavers would use to create their baskets have been ravaged by the Emerald Ash Borer. Many are worried about the future of this art form as the pests infestation spreads throughout Michigan.
On our site we feature baskets mainly from the following three artists:
Katie Sickles - an Oneida, artist who lives in Canada and has passed her trademark techniques & style on to her children.
Nancy Krogmann - a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi, who loves to incorporate found nature objects in her finished pieces.
Minnie Jackson - was the eldest member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe for many years. Minnie walked on in August of 2011, a month away from her 100th Birthday.
Renee Dillard - a Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians artist. She has been teaching Anishinabe culture, basketry, traditions, and history for more than a quarter of a century.