Abenaki basketmaker, Jeanne Brink keeps her culture and her grandmother's spirit alive by weaving baskets (like the ones shown below) with traditional materials, such as brown ash and sweet grass. Known for her miniature fancy baskets, Jeanne Brink often uses sweetgrass as it is easily maneuverable when doing minute details (Bruchac 63-68). A basket often shows a basket maker's personality and Brink uses various techniques in her basketmaking that mark the basket as specifically hers (63-68). For example, she is known for using a green candy-stripe pattern in her baskets by incorporating sweetgrass to create a subtle swirl around a basket's lid and sides (63-68). The baskets shown below are made with a combination of sweetgrass and both dyed and un-dyed ash splints ("We're Still Here").
Jeanne Brink first became interested in basketmaking when she was little while watching her grandmother make baskets ("Voices of Vermont Women: Jeanne Brink"). However, it was not until she grew into an adult that she realized that her grandmother represented a living history ("Voices of Vermont Women: Jeanne Brink."). Her grandmother, Elvine Obomsawin, told a story in Abenaki of the Abenaki version of "Rogers' Raid" ("Voices of Vermont Women: Jeanne Brink"). The story was recorded and then translated by Gordon Day and eventually became the basis of Malian's Song ("Voices of Vermont Women: Jeanne Brink"). Please click here for various audio links of Jeanne Brink speaking about her grandmother. But it was her grandmother's dexterous weaving that sparked Jeanne Brink to investigate the tradition of basketmaking ("Voices of Vermont Women: Jeanne Brink"). Brink attended one basketmaking class from a non-native, only to return frustrated with an unfinished basket ("Voices of Vermont Women: Jeanne Brink"). After a visit with her mother, Brink discovered the Abenaki tradition of basketmaking students first starting by making hundreds of bookmarks to get the technique down before finally making a basket ("Voices of Vermont Women: Jeanne Brink"). Brink spent the next four years making bookmarks until she took an apprenticeship with a fellow Abenaki basketmaker, Sophie Nolette, from Odanak ("Voices of Vermont Women: Jeanne Brink").
After mastering the art of basket making, Jeanne Brink began to give back to the community by teaching others what she knew. Brink takes on various apprentices to pass on the basketmaking tradition ("New Hampshire Traditional Arts & Folklife Listing"). One of her apprentices, Sherry Gould, is also featured in this exhibit. Education is very important to Jeanne Brink and does not limit her teaching to basketmaking. In fact, she serves as a Native American consultant to various schools and even participates in various Abenaki language camps ("New Hampshire Traditional Arts & Folklife Listing"). Language camps are very successful in preserving and reviving the Abenaki language and Brink does her part by hosting them at her home (Pouliot, "Abenaki Language Camps" 5). In addition to the language camps, Brink often collaborates with others of Abenaki heritage to preserve the culture (Pouliot, "Abenaki Artisan Collaborative" 6). In 2010, Brink contributed to L8dwaw8gan Wji Abaznodakaw8gan: The Language of Basketmaking, a book by Jesse Bruchac that combines language and basketmaking as a way of sparking interest in the Abenaki language. It is through this cycle of teaching and learning that Abenaki culture and language is revived.
Bruchac, Jesse Bowman, Elie Alfred Joseph Joubert, and Jeanne Brink. L8dwaw8gan Wji Abaznodakaw8gan: The Language of Basket Making. New York: Greenfield Center, 2010. Print.
"New Hampshire Traditional Arts & Folklife Listing." New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. State of New Hampshire, n.d. Web. 3 Feb. 2013.
Pouliot, Paul. Abenaki Artisan Collaborative." Aln8bak News Oct-Nov-Dec. 2009: 6.
---."Abenaki Language Camp." Aln8bak News April-May-June. 2010: 6.
"Voices of Vermont Women: Jeanne Brink." Womenspeak: Voices of Vermont Women. Vermont Folklife Center, n.d. Web. 3 Feb. 2013.
"We're Still Here" Online Exhibit. Center For New England Culture. University of New Hampshire. N.d. Web.
Photograph Copyright 2005, University of New Hampshire Photographic Services
]]>Change through time. In nature, these three words define the process required of all living things for survival. For the Abenaki, they represent the survival of a culture. Without change, the people native to areas of northern New England and Southern Quebec would have no history and perhaps even more importantly, no future (Porter 6).
Traditional Abenaki baskets were, and continue to be, woven from sweet grass and splints of ash (Dow, Personal Interview). Abenaki baskets, originally made using various techniques to serve a practical purpose, experienced a change in the late 1800s (Porter 6). Basketmakers adjusted to the changing times, ultimately creating "fancy baskets" (6). By the end of the last century, Abenaki fancy baskets were in such high demand that molds were created to increase production rates and to have a uniform product to sell, while the baskets themselves were sold through catalogs (6).
By adapting to social, political, economic, 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… using new and different materials is how I see Abenaki basketry meeting the needs of culture in this new century. - Judy Dow, We Are Still Here
Abenaki basketmaker, Judy Dow, is an important personality in the current Abenaki revitalization movement (Dow, Personal Interview). Her baskets have been on exhibit in many museums, such as Strawberry Banke and the National Museum of the American Indian (Vermont Governor's Institute on the Arts). Dow provides a unique approach in preserving Abenaki cultural identity through basketmaking by using nontraditional materials (Dow, Personal Interview).
Judy Dow's philosophies for "Saba" (Abenaki for tomorrow) bring awareness to how current mechanisms of revitalization do not honor change as a facet of Abenaki culture (Dow). By not continuing to adapt, the foundation of a culture is at risk.
Abenaki baskets are traditionally made using four techniques: Coiling, twining, plaited, and one-piece (Dow). Judy Dow portrays each technique as a different branch on a single tree (Dow). Instead of only focusing on one branch, Dow uses all of the techniques when she incorporates her adaptations (Dow). While the material of the basket is changing (along with the tools used to make it) it is important to Dow that the technique remains: "The techniques are gifts from our ancestors" (Dow, Email).
In addition to the preservation of techniques, Dow illustrates how the basket making process should be conserved. For example, the art of basketmaking requires the individual to have a connection to the land and knowledge of it (Dow, Personal Interview). Basketmakers gather their own raw materials and prepare them by hand (Dow). In the traditional sense, this refers to basketmakers who cut and pound their own ash (Dow). Although Judy's baskets are not always made from ash, she continues to demonstrate the Abenaki tradition of harvest. She collects all her materials, be it plastic bags, pantyhose, or flax straw (Dow).
Above all, in order to be a basketmaker, one must portray patience, perseverance, preservation, and most importantly, pride. "The Four P's," as Dow puts it, should define Abenaki generations of the past, present, and future (Dow).
The conservation of the Brown Ash population has been a growing concern over the past few years, especially for Native American basketmakers - in part because of the introduction of the emerald beetle (USDA). The necessity for change has shifted the process of basketmaking towards the use of alternative materials. Judy Dow is perhaps the most creative and adaptive basketmaker today in many ways, all of which promote the conservation of brown ash and the adaptation to use other materials. She has made baskets out of a variety of 'everyday' materials such as old fast food bags, nylon, wrappers, and lumber strapping (Dow, Personal Interview). Because they attract the eye, baskets made out of this material bring attention to sustainability.
Her style of basketmaking underscores an important lesson that can be learned from Abenaki culture: the cost of cultural survival. If there is no longer a way to do something in the traditional sense, it is possible to adapt in a manner that maintains the cultural identity of the process. Along with recycling common materials, Judy Dow also finds creative ways of using everyday tools for basketmaking. For example, when her old splint cutting tool broke, she used her pasta cutter from her kitchen instead (Dow). This is one of many instances where adaptations are shown in Abenaki culture, further proving that it is possible for a heritage to survive once the significance of adapting is taught to the younger - interested and willing - generations.
By adapting tools and materials, the basketry techniques will live on and then so will our heritage.- Judy Dow, We Are Still Here
Dow, Judy. "Dowessay." 23 Nov. 2012. E-mail.
Dow, Judy. Personal Interview. 11 Oct. 2012.
Lori, Carolyn. "Shaping the talk on American Indians." The Valley News. 24 November 2005. Web.
Porter, Frank W. "Native American Basketry." The Art of Native American Basketry: A Living Legacy. New York: Greenwood, 1990. 67. Print.
USDA Agricultural Research Service. "NPGS Ash Conservation Project." N.d. Digital file.
Vermont's Governor's Institute on the Arts. "Judy Dow." 12 June 2012. Web.
"We're Still Here" Online Exhibit. Center For New England Culture. University of New Hampshire. N.d. Web.
At first glance this basket might seem like a beautiful decoration or a cherished household item. While the basket is both of these things, there is a history and story behind it that is not immediately visible. Made by Abenaki Basketmaker, Liz Charlebois, out of sweet grass and ash splints, this basket represents generations of skilled Abenaki artisans that have perpetuated their culture through the traditional making of baskets (Charlebois). In fact, Abenaki women have been practicing the art of making baskets for hundreds of years (Calloway 37). Baskets became a necessary part of Abenaki culture because women had to travel long distances to pick and gather berries; baskets allowed the women to carry more supplies with less work. However, baskets became much more than carrying items, it became an important part of Abenaki economy and history (37). Although basket styles have changed throughout the years, their significance within Abenaki culture has not (Day).
Baskets are important to Abenaki culture not just because of their practicality and their value as an art form, but because of the stories that they hold (Charlebois). Whether these stories are of a personal nature or of a historical one, the basket serves as a record of friendship or of the past. While a basketmaker's materials of choice are ash splints, a storyteller's materials of choice are words that are woven together to form stories, histories, and records of relationships that exemplify their culture. In this way, storytellers and basketmakers are very similar. Along with being an accomplished basketmaker, Liz Charlebois is a storyteller that understands the connection between baskets, stories, and culture (Charlebois). One of the many stories that she tells emphasizes the relationship between the Abenaki, baskets, and nature:
In the old days life was very hard for the women within all of the villages. The women had to gather firewood, food, and medicinals with nothing but their hands and arms to carry with. They toiled long and hard and every working hour was devoted to these tasks. It took much effort and many trips from the village to the forest and back again before the women could rest for the night and they were always exhausted at the end of the day from all the toil and the repeated distances they had to travel with their goods. All the birds, beasts, trees, and all living things saw how hard the women worked. After a time on a very hot day a woman sat in the shade of an ash tree. The ash tree took pity and spoke to the woman, told her the certain way to make baskets and how to be grateful for this great gift to help the women with their work. The ash tree told the woman to always remember to be grateful for all that was given and taught her a song of thanks to sing. This woman taught the other women of the village how to make baskets to help carry their burdens and she taught them all how to sing the song of thanks. For many years afterwards the women were grateful and remembered the song to sing. The work became much easier and the women were happy for a time with their gift. Anyone could look out through the forest or the fields and they would see the women were happily gathering and singing as the baskets followed along behind carrying all of the women's burdens. After a time, the women began to take the great gift of the baskets for granted, they stopped singing the songs of thanks. The baskets began to think that their gift was no longer appreciated and they stopped following the women at their work. From that time until this time baskets have remained a true gift from the ash tree but no longer do they simply follow a woman at work but the women now carry the baskets, burden and all.
This story is a cautionary tale that underscores the importance of the appreciation of nature. The story attributes the first creation of a basket to the ash tree: an act that underscores the role of the ash tree in basketmaking (Charlebois). Without the ash tree, there are no baskets. The story encourages the Abenaki to be respectful to nature. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of sustainability within Abenaki culture. Nothing must be taken for granted. The Abenaki continue to keep sustainability an important part of their culture. In fact, as Joseph Bruchac explains, "it is important to remember the old stories when we consider the relationship today of Abenaki people to the land" (Bruchac 2). The land must be respected or there will be consequences. Even those who have not heard of this story understand that sustainability and basketmaking go hand in hand, whether by preserving ash trees or by using different materials all together.
In addition to the importance of sustainability, the story asserts that baskets have the power to archive a set of tenets for a culture. In other words, by looking at baskets we can understand a part of Abenaki culture. In many cultures, storytelling is used as a way of teaching children about nature, their heritage, and what has happened in their history. This is just as true in Abenaki culture.
This particular basket was made by Charlebois as a present for her brother. It expresses friendship and care. This simple act of giving a gift is one way to continue on the tradition of baskets. Charlebois also passes on the art of basketmaking to her daughter. Charlebois' daughter enjoys making bookmarks and baskets (Goff).
The story also makes a comment on the act of passing on stories and other traditions. For example, when the ash tree teaches the woman basketmaking, the tree also teachers her "a song of thanks" (Charlebois). The baskets only do the work for the women as long as they give thanks. However, as soon as they take the baskets for granted and forget to sing the song, they must once again carry their burden. By passing on cultural beliefs and other traditions, the Abenaki remember to always be thankful. The participation of the younger generation is imperative in preserving culture.
As Liz Charlebois explains, baskets are a prominent part of Abenaki history and contribute to culture by telling the story of that history (Goff). Stories can bring people closer together because it is a way of sharing feelings and stories of the past. Like stories, baskets also bring people of different backgrounds together through demonstrations, apprenticeships, and the stories that are attached to them.
Bruchac, Joseph. Rooted Like the Ash Trees: New England Indians and the Land. Ed. Richard G. Carlson. Naugatuck, Conn.: Eagle Wing, 1987. Print.
Calloway, Colin G., and Frank W. Porter. The Abenaki: Indians of North America. N.p.: Chelsea House, 1989. Print.
Charlebois, Liz. “Basket Making.” Message to Stephanie Gilkenson. 12 Apr. 2012. E-mail.
Day, Gordon M. In Search of New England’s Native Past: Selected Essays by Gordon M. Day. Univ of Massachusetts Pr, 1999. Print.
Goff, John. “Abenaki Basket-making.” http://www.wickedlocal.com/salem. Salem Gazette, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.
Ramsdell, Jared. Charlebois Baskets – 1. 2012. Photograph. Charlebois Baskets. Jared Ramsdell Photography. Jared Ramsdell, 2012. Web. 8 Oct. 2012.
Photo courtesy of Jared Ramsdell.
]]>The pack basket with a leather harness shown in the picture below is particularly striking and showcases Bill Gould's skill in basketmaking. Used for carrying supplies while out in the woods, the pack basket is 20 inches high and made out of brown ash.
Basketmakers Bill and Sherry Gould work to maintain and continue the traditional art of basketmaking (“Western Abenaki Baskets”). They are enrolled members of the Abenaki Nation at Nulhegan/ Memphremagog and are passionate about making beautiful baskets (Gould). They pass on their knowledge and skill by taking on apprentices through the NH Arts Council Traditional Arts Program (Gould). As one of the main materials of basketmaking, ash trees are very important to basketmakers such as Bill Gould. Unfortunately, increasing human population and the introduction of foreign invasive species has made it much harder to find healthy ash trees for basketmaking.
The emerald ash borer, for example, is a beetle-like insect that eats Ash trees (Remillard). The beetle has already done a large amount of destruction. In Michigan alone, tens of millions of Ash trees have been lost, costing municipalities, property owners, nursery operators, and forest product industries tens of millions of dollars ("Emerald Ash Borer"). Although currently not present in New Hampshire, it is prevalent in Vermont and Massachusetts and the risk for its spread into New Hampshire is high (“Emerald Ash Borer”). New Hampshire forest service and other environmental agencies are doing what they can to prevent its introduction into the state (McCullough). For example, one way to avert the spread of the beetle is through the restriction of the transportation of firewood across state lines. Additionally, various traps developed specifically for the ash borer are used to capture the beetles (McCullough). Research is also being conducted into ground nesting wasps that feed on the borers and may keep their population in check (Remillard). This type of research ensures that Ash trees will survive for generations to come.
Although gathering the material for basketmaking is a lengthy process, Bill Gould continues to make baskets the traditional Abenaki way by first felling and pounding an ash tree. The strips of growth rings are split down to very thin layers and the underside of the outer two layers are scraped smooth. The strips are then moistened and cut down to meet the size of the basket (Sturtevant). There are molds of all different shapes and sizes that the Abenaki basket makers use to form their baskets. For example, some molds are square and small while others are tall and circular (Sturtevant). The ash splints used in basket making can also be died different colors to add certain effects to the baskets. Click here for a video of Ash being split by Jesse Larocque.
Bill and Sherry Gould are committed to continue the traditions of basket making and often have open door events at their home so people can see their workshop and learn about Abenaki heritage and culture (Gould).
“Emerald Ash Borer.” emeraldashborer.info. n.d. Web. 13 October 2012.
Gould, Sherry. “Artist Biographies.”
McCullough, Deborah G. “ Double-Decker Traps to Detect Emerald Ash Borer.” Michigan State University and USDA Forest Service. 2009. Web. 17 October 2012.
Remillard, Kathy. “NH Protects Itself from Emerald Ash Borer.” Union Leader. 21 July 2012. Web. 13 October 2012.
Sturtevant, William C. Handbook of North American Indians. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1978. Print.
“Western Abenaki Baskets – Home.” Western Abenaki Baskets. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
]]>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).
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).
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).
Sweetgrass has always been a widespread plant, present on each coast and in places down South and grows predominately in marshes and wetlands (Leif). However, it is becoming more and more difficult to obtain as these ecosystems are being sold off for development at an astounding rate ("Threats to Salt Marsh Environments"). For basket makers in New Hampshire, the development of Interstate 89 and private landowning in its area have become problematic regarding the collection of sweetgrass ("Threats to Salt Marsh Environments"). As it is, sweetgrass can only be harvested once per year, in July, and one must pick enough to last until the next harvest (Phillips). Native basket makers are historically resilient, however, and that is no different now, as many travel to places along the Maine coast to gather their sweetgrass, and some grow their own.
Traditionally, Abenaki baskets include a sweetgrass rim, and the fancy work baskets relied on the pleasant smell of sweetgrass to attract buyers (Leif). Losing sweetgrass in the basket making practice would be losing a sizable and important part of the Native American and Abenaki culture. As Joan Lester points out in the Laurie Weinstein edited Enduring Traditions: The Native Peoples of New England, “When they use materials or processes that are centuries old, they again follow and retain the ways of their ancestors” (Lester, 157-8).
While the tourists who purchased baskets similar to this one may not have fully understood their cultural significance, their native makers did. Each basket maker knew exactly what they were weaving into their items: an important sense of tribal identity (Bruchac). Joan Lester further explains that, while the selling of these souvenirs was born out of economic necessity, “creating and selling Indian work also supports cultural survival” (157). The basket below, and many like it, are important reminders of the rich Abenaki history and the sweetgrass that comprises it upholds the presence of an Abenaki cultural hallmark.
Bruchac, Jesse, Joseph Alfred Elie Joubert, and Jeanne Brink. L8dwaw8gan Wji Abaznodakaw8ganThe Language of Basketmaking. Greenfield Center, NY: Bowman, 2010. Print.
Leif, John W. “Sweet Grass.“ Plant Fact Sheet. United States Department of Agriculture, 09 Apr. 2010. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.
Lester, Joan. “Art for Sale: Cultural and Economic Survival.” Enduring Traditions: The Native Peoples of New England. Ed. Laurie Weinstein. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey, 1994. 151-67. Print.
Phillips, Ruth B. Trading Identities: The Souvenir in Native North American Art from the Northeast, 1700-1900. Seattle: University of Washington, 1998. Print.
Porter, Frank W. “Native American Basketry.“ The Art of Native American Basketry: A Living Legacy. New York: Greenwood, 1990. 67. Print.
”Threats to Salt Marsh Environments.“ Environmental Fact Sheets. New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, Aug. 2008. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.
”Western Abenaki Baskets – Home.“ Western Abenaki Baskets. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
The components of an Abenaki basket are not as simple as they appear to be. The amount of physical labor hiding behind even small baskets is immense, perhaps overwhelming for those not familiar with the process (Occaso). Among the multitude of patterns, shapes, and dyes, Brown Ash splints function as the backbone of many traditional Abenaki baskets (Bruchac). Because of the Ash tree’s vital role in the production of durable and beautiful baskets, the material must be treated as purely and sensibly as possible.
Few remaining individuals are able to complete the total basket making process, from Ash pounding to basket weaving. One of these individuals, Vermont resident Jesse Larocque, has illuminated the process of traditional native basketmaking, especially for those who lack a background in the material production ever-present behind the decorative result (Larocque, Interview). He has made the process of his work accessible and understandable, revealing the high degree of physical labor that Ash pounding entails. His subtle knowledge of the Brown Ash and its characteristics makes Jesse’s remarks on Ash pounding and splitting extremely important– both to the process of basket making, and for the preservation of traditional technique (Larocque, Interview). Through examining the Ash pounding process and what the tree produces, one can make sense of the various bare components that end up in a specific basket. To understand the Ash tree is to understand the backbone of each basket. And to understand Jesse’s work is to understand the Brown Ash.
The Brown Ash (or Black Ash) is extremely common and abundant throughout the Northeastern United States. Still, the species’ abundance does not ensure its preservation and protection. Keeping with perhaps the most sustainable practice possible, Jesse requests the harvest of individual trees from various landowners, as to maintain the original density of nearby forests (Larocque, Interview). These trees are most commonly found in swamps, though variations in water supply will produce slightly different internal characteristics, from hue to hardness (Larocque, Interview).
Once the tree is harvested, it must be cut into segments that ultimately determine the circumference of the basket (Larocque, Interview). During pounding, the log segment will start to delaminate and reveal stacked layers of wood. Jesse is able to select individual splints from specific layers of the Brown Ash as he hammers each growth ring (Larocque, Interview). The composition of each specific Ash tree is unique, and the subsequent result of pounding the tree yields splints with consistently different variations. These variations, in turn, dictate the strength, color, and final usage of specific splints. Jesse explained this sorting and matching in further detail during a recent interview:
Age of tree, thickness of growth rings, dry ground or wet ground. White or brown Ash. Sometimes you’ll get five different shades of brown from the tree depending on where it grew. You have to grade the tree by color profile. The tree has to be graded for thickness. Splints must be graded for a specialized piece of the basket. Plan ahead and don’t get excited.
After the splints are harvested and graded, the color and hardness of each splint will determine what sort of basket is created. Harder interior wood will make a more rugged basket (Larocque, Interview). Light and pliable outer wood will go on to form fancy, decorative components (Larocque, Interview). When, and only when this preparation has taken place can the basket be visualized and crafted.
Jesse is an extremely patient individual who is led by his work. He allows the basket making process to carry him in an organic and subjective manner from start to finish. His continuing skill outside of Ash pounding is especially evident in his pack basket. Because no two trees are ever alike, no two baskets are ever quite the same, and the pack basket is undoubtedly the clearest example of this dissimilarity. In fact, it is woven to fit the wearer: “I take the measurements for each person and build the basket around them” (Larocque, Interview). Each pack basket is roughly 20 inches tall and by no coincidence, one would find the same height upon measuring his or her own back. In this sense the product tells the story of the wearer and the craftsman. Furthermore, the pack basket is a reflection of Jesse’s skill for choosing appropriate material that will even outlive its ownership. These choices are evident in the pack’s construction: “The basket has a combination of continual weaves and regular stack weaves. The rim has a double lashing around the top. The entire basket uses thicker splints. It’s more durable that way” (Larocque, Interview). Because so many unpredictable factors enter Jesse’s approach, he must remain committed to his work, and prevent himself from doing more work than necessary. Even this excellent photograph does not offer a complete example of this basket’s true intricacy. When working with individually unique materials, frustration can easily arise out of the smallest problem.
To create such masterpieces like the pack basket, Jesse streamlines his splint collection through the use of simple tools that, in essence, reduce the probability of a bad outcome. In an exercise that places equal emphasis on process and product, care and simplification are two of the most important factors in baskets that are indeed “made by hand.” The result of this work-six full days to be exact-is a soundly woven pack that gently fits the slope of each wearer’s back with uncanny precision (Larocque). The tack-sharp accuracy and beauty of Jesse’s pack basket only hints at his tireless dedication to an increasingly esoteric craft.
In Jesse’s work and in Abenaki basketry, even the most decorated products are often grounded in practicality. That is, the function of each basket always tends to dictate its basic form. The stories and methods that reside in these products are a display of cultural ingenuity, emotion, and traditional sensibility. The function of these baskets, from an artifactual standpoint, is extremely rational and use-driven. This basket (though some would say it is too beautiful to use), would last countless years in the wilderness when treated properly. This same idea fits in all other cases: Berry baskets are, by nature of their shape, perfect for holding berries. An eel trap encroaches on a perfectly sized hole for just the desired catch.
Above all imaginable forms and uses, these baskets serve the amazingly larger purpose of explaining cultural subtleties: ideas and visions that simply can’t be communicated effectively through any other medium. They are physical illustrations of cultural traits that could not otherwise be explained. Therefore, each basket serves as a component of the Abenaki tradition and lifestyle. In continuing to pound ash and weave baskets, Jesse perpetuates his culture through a medium that transcends language boundaries. The basket can be held, examined, even sent to distant regions in hopes that others will understand its history. The basket is alive, and its life will inspire a sustainable cultural attitude, as long as we are willing to listen for its story.
Larocque, Jesse. “Abenaki Baskets by Jesse Larocque.” Abenakibaskets.com Black Ash Baskets, Hand Made by Abenaki Indian Jesse Larocque. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
Larocque, Jesse. “Jesse Larocque: The Ash Pounding Process.” Telephone interview. 4 Oct. 2012.
“The NH-VT Abenaki Basketmakers Alliance.” Vermonters Concerned on Native American Affairs. N.p., 17 Jan. 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2012.
Occaso, Carla. “Basket Maker Shares Traditional Native American Skills.” Vermonter.com. Vermonter.com, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
Bruchac, Jesse Bowman., Joseph Alfred Elie. Joubert, and Jeanne A. Brink. L8dwaw8gan Wji Abaznodakaw8gan: The Language of Basket Making. Greenfield Center, NY: Bowman, 2010. Print.
The following videos are included as resources for those seeking additional illustration of the Ash pounding process. All videos courtesy of Jesse Larocque.
Video 1: Preparing a Black Ash log segment for pounding.
Video 2: Pounding the Ash tree segment and preparing raw splints.
Video 3: A close-up of splints delaminating as the Ash is pounded.
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We do not think of baskets in a practical way anymore; they are mostly decorative art. If we need a durable container for large dry goods, we are likely to use a plastic bin. Starting in the 1930s, galvanized bushel baskets and pails, made by machine in vast numbers, were the universal carry-alls, ("Newton Washburn"). Before that, the universal container was the wooden basket. A sturdy, durable container, it was, pound for pound, much stronger than galvanized steel, and in some ways more durable. In fact, baskets retard spoilage by providing controlled ventilation and are still heavily used for harvesting and storing apples and other produce (Congdon).
In upper Vermont, the Sweetser family made many, if not most, of the baskets sold commercially (Linzee 25). The family originated in the early 1800′s by the marriage of a German immigrant basket-maker to a basket-maker from Odanak, Canada ("Newton Washburn"). By the 1920′s, there were over a hundred family members making baskets in a small area between Stowe and Lamoille, Vermont (Eaton 51). They sold their products all over upper Vermont and their brown-ash baskets were unusually sturdy, with a hybrid vigor from the marriage of Abenaki and European designs.
Born into the Sweetser extended family in 1915, Newt Washburn grew up making baskets; it was his family’s winter occupation. They made “bushel baskets… egg baskets, apron baskets, laundry, feather, berry, bike, and pack baskets … baskets for every need, even baby cradles and fishing creels” (Linzee 25). It was a communal activity, with families often getting together for basketmaking parties. But their Abenaki heritage was a family secret: “It was frowned on. If anyone knew, I wouldn’t be able to play with the other kids and the neighbors wouldn’t let me in their houses to play” (Colquhoun).
Secrecy about their heritage was not unusual. Arthur Sweetser, a basketmaker working in the late 1940’s, explained that one day when his grandfather brought his grandmother “into a store with him [to trade baskets for goods] … he introduced her as ‘my squaw.’ [His] Grandmother was so mad she didn’t make any baskets for a couple of years” (Eaton 51).
By the mid-30′s, the market for baskets greatly diminished, displaced by all manner of modern containers. By the end of World War II, with the need to find other work, the Sweetser community was largely dispersed (Colquhoun). After serving in the war, Washburn moved to Bethlehem, NH, where he worked repairing auto bodies, shaping steel instead of wood ("Newton Washburn"). He was forced to retire by two heart attacks in the early 1970′s ("Newton Washburn").
I came home from my last heart attack. That’s the day I started. I don’t know how many years I’d lived here then, but I went down back on my own land, leaning against a tree, watching the river. Something told me to look at the tree. I stepped back and looked. It was a brown ash tree growing on the river bank… That night I had a basket made. And I haven’t stopped since. (Linzee 26)
While recuperating, Washburn found himself drawn back to his family’s heritage and craft (26). It was the beginning of the Abenaki renaissance in New England, which caused a growing interest in baskets (Berolzheimer). Working out of a small workshop at his house in Bethlehem, NH, “Silent Bear” made baskets for more than twenty-five years (26). He was the last basket-maker still working who was part of the earlier, utilitarian cottage industry where he learned his craft (26). His baskets are beautiful examples of a highly refined, utilitarian design that leaps from craft to art. He continued to innovate within his tradition, as with his signature combination of an “Abenaki star” basket bottom with a concave “demijohn” bottom, which greatly strengthens the basket (26).
As his ability to practice his craft diminished with age, Washburn’s scope of concern widened to the sustainability of his people and his craft. The Sweetsers had always kept their craft within the family but as the last holder of the tradition, Washburn realized that it would be lost if he did not teach others ("Newton Washburn"). To continue the tradition, Washburn taught at pow-wows and at schools. He mentored more than eighty apprentices, many or most of them Abenaki, including Sherry and Bill Gould ("Western Abenaki Baskets"). His apprentices have gone on to teach others through apprenticeships, events, and writings.
Newt Washburn died in 2011. Like the basket spokes we see radiating from that exuberant signature, those he taught are the framework of a lasting, universal container of his legacy – a basket made of people of the ash, carrying the craft of his ancestors onto the uncertain waters of the future.
Berolzheimer, Alan. The Flow of History Winter, 2011. Web.
Congdon, Kristin G. and Kara Kelley Hallmark. American Folk Art: A Regional Reference. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2012. Print.
Colquhoun, Lorna. “Littleton Honors Native Americans; Governor, Town Celebrates Cultural Day, Invites Tribal Leaders”. New Hampshire Sunday News 26 September 1993: 1B. Print.
DeSorbo, Mark A. “State’s Top Arts Promoters Honored”. New Hampshire Union Leader 20 September 1995: A1. Print.
Eaton, Allen H. Handicrafts of New England. New York: Bonanza Books, 1949. Print.
Linzee, Jill and Michael P. Chaney. Deeply Rooted: New Hampshire Traditions in Wood. Durham: University of New Hampshire, 1997. Print.
“Newton Washburn“. National Endowment for the Arts. Web.
”Western Abenaki Baskets – Home.“ Western Abenaki Baskets. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
Photographs by Alicia Gagne.
One of our most modern baskets, this red fancy basket was created by Mohawk Basketmaker Mary Adams in c. 1970. With its green and red ash splints making a continuous spiral pattern, the basket illustrates the intricate art of basketry. A circle of sweetgrass on the top of the basket with splints shaped into a flower like pattern demonstrates the artist's skill. More than just a decorative or utilitarian object, this basket tells a story of survival and triumph. Mary Adams' baskets incorporate modern aesthetics and a comment on the Mohawk world-view into the art and process of basketmaking. Every basket illustrates her life story and the debt that basketry as an art form owes to her. This piece is housed at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum
The Mohawk have been making baskets for a long time. Every step of the process underscores their dedication to traditional beliefs while also adapting to changing times: "Mohawk people of today have combined centuries-old ways of living into 20th century everyday life. The values of their historical culture still remain present in their daily life" (Mohawk Tribal Website). Despite much adversity, the Mohawk tribe has survived and preserved their culture. Because American Indians as a minority are not given as much attention as other minorities, tribes do their best to positively emphasize their modern culture. The St. Regis Mohawk tribal website, for example, delineates the continuance of their culture: "The Kanienkehaka, or Mohawks as they are known in English, have managed to preserve, maintain and foster a unique culture for thousands of years. This dynamic culture has survived, despite the oppressive odds brought about with the arrival of Europeans in what is now known as North America” (Mohawk Tribal Website).
Baskets such as this one are proof of the continued presence of Mohawk people into the present day. In Akwesasne (the Mohawk land around the St. Lawrence river) today, there are more than a hundred Mohawks that practice basketmaking (Williamson). Through her baskets, Mary Adams showcased her culture and inspired others to take on and continue the trade.
Mary Adams was born on Cornall Island, Ontario, Canada in 1917 and died in Fort Covington, New York in 1999 (Smith). She learned basketmaking at a young age from her mother: "When my mother used to make baskets, my brothers and sisters and I used to play with the scraps she threw down around her" (Smith). At ten years old, when her mother died and her father left to find work as an ironworker, Adams made baskets with the help of her brother to support the both of them (Thornburn 92). Adams began by making a dozen baskets a week (later upping the production to two dozen baskets a week) (92). Adams would trade the baskets in for cigarettes at one store and then trade the cigarettes at another store for $1.25 (92). She continued making baskets to support herself for the rest of her life: "That's why my baskets are so good- because I work every day" (Smith 38). In total, Adams produced over 25,000 baskets during her lifetime. Later on in her life, Adams had more time to experiment with different forms and decorations (Thornburn 92). She is famous for her exquisite Wedding Cake Basket and for the Pope Basket that has various smaller baskets (over 150) attached all around the rim.
Passing on the tradition of basketmaking was especially important to Mary Adams: "Continuing the community- centered tradition of the Mohawk, Adams shared the original patterns and surface designs in her basketry with her family and the women at Akwesasne, and also traveled widely to give demonstrations of Mohawk basketmaking " (Thornburn 92). Adams taught many people what she knew about basketmaking including her children. In a recording from North Country Public Radio, Mary Adams recalls how one woman would often come over to learn basketmaking. Later on, when the woman was more experienced, she called Adams to ask for her advice if she got stuck ("Mary Adams"). When the woman asked how much the lesson cost, Adams replied with "I don't charge you anything. I just want you to learn" ("Mary Adams"). Much more important than making money, Adams' goal was for younger people to learn and in turn teach others so that the tradition could continue on.
Michele "Midge" Stock recalls how she had the great pleasure of meeting Mary Adams and learning from her through a New York Folklore Society mentoring project: "She invited me to her home to learn more about Iroquois Basketry. I was thrilled, of course, as I was a novice, and she is one of the most well-known Iroquois basket-makers in the world" (Stock). In 1998, when Adams was injured due to a fall, Stock helped Adams with her baskets (Stock). Mary Adams’ daughters would also join in (Stock).
Adams drew on various sources for her inspiration. Mary Adams used a mix of modern culture and the traditional art of basketry to make The Wedding Cake basket. Built to look like an elaborate wedding cake, the basket commemorates the 25th wedding anniversary of one of her daughters. Although wedding cakes are a popular modern tradition, Adams used her knowledge of basketry to put her own spin on the significance of the anniversary (Thornburn 92). A testament to modern Mohawks, the basket merges two cultures. Mary Adams also created the Pope Basket, which mixes religious influence with the Mohawk traditional art of basketry. A devotee of Kateri Tekakwitha, a Catholic Mohawk woman who lived during the 17th century, Mary Adams presented the basket to Pope John Paul II in honor of Kateri’s beatification (92).
Modern baskets illustrate the melding of traditional customs with modern aesthetics and lifestyles. One of the most famous Mohawk basketmakers, Mary Adams expanded and experimented with different designs, colors, and techniques. Despite having to grow up at the very young age of 10 and support herself and her brother, Adams was able to make baskets to sell for money in addition to expanding on the art form. Mary Adams’ baskets emphasize the unique culture of the Modern Mohawk by combing different aesthetics: Mohawk, non-native, and Modern American.
Hassenplug, Sarah. "Culture and History." Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. N.p., 1991. Web. 08 Aug. 2012.
Mary Adams. North Country Public Radio. N.p., 2012. Web. 08 Aug. 2012.
Smith, Jaune Quick-to-See. "Women of Sweetgrass, Cedar, and Sage." Women Studies Quarterly 15 (1987): 35-41. Jstor. Web. 08 Aug. 2012.
Stock, Michele. "NYFS Mentoring: Iroquois Basketry." New York Folklore Society. N.p., 2012. Web. 08 Aug. 2012.
Thornburn, Olivia. "Mary Kawennatakie Adams: Mohawk Basketmaker and Artist." American Art 15.2 (2001): 90-95. JSTOR. Web. 08 Aug. 2012.
Williamson, Lynne. "Music and Art to Remember." Voices Fall-Winter 2002: n. pag. New York Folklore Society. Web. 8 Aug. 2012.
]]>This is a small, purely decorative, fancy basket. The main structure of the basket is tightly woven with light colored ash splints. The even sized and very smooth splints indicate the later date of the basket. Small decorative curls, known as cowiss, fashioned out of a darker splint cover most of the outside of the basket. These curls, called cowiss, are a common decoration on fancy baskets. The handles of the basket, two on the sides and one on top, are highly decorative. Due to its style, the basket would have been an item popular among tourists in New England.
By continuing to make baskets, basketmakers today preserve a traditional way while also being involved members of their communities. Basketmaking creates a connection between ancestors, the older generation, and the younger generation that is important to the continuation of the art of basketry: "the work we create as artists connects us with our ancestors and leaves behind a connection for those yet to be born to remember who we are and were. The baskets, carvings, beadwork, tools, and items that made their way into museums still speak to us and teach us" (Mundell 26).
Basket styles continue to change, which is a testament to the adaptability of the Abenaki people: "Each new ash splint basket crafted by Abenaki basket-makers… is a modern creation, designed to meet current 21st-century needs. Yet behind each basket lies a fascinating, time-honored history of native woodworking and basket-crafting here in the northeast” (Goff). Despite changing styles, the legacy is never lost and the tradition and process of making a basket remains much the same as it used to.
Today various basketmakers such as Jesse Laroque, Jeanne Brink, Judy Dow, and Bill and Sherry Gould, keep the tradition alive by teaching apprentices and the younger generation, selling their wares, providing information, forming organizations and attending events that keep basketmaking a big part of New England culture. By keeping the tradition alive, Abenaki basketmakers are able to keep their tribe in the news and in the minds of the people of New England. And because for many years Indigenous peoples were erroneously labeled as disappeared from the area, being in the public eye helps to break down those stereotypes.
"Ash and Birchbark: The As and Bs of Traditional Baskets." U.S. National Park Service. N.p., 27 July 2012. Web. 27 July 2012.
Goff, John. "Abenaki Basketmaking." Salem Gazette [Salem] 24 June 2011: n. pag. Web. 27 July 2012.
Mundell, Kathleen. North by Northeast: Wabanaki, Akwesasne Mohawk, and Tuscarora Traditional Arts. Tilbury House Publishers, 2008.
Pelletier, Gaby. Abenaki Basketry. Ottawa: National Museums of Canada, 1982. Print.
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