Gladys McKinney

When she was only fourteen, Gladys McKinney began learning basketweaving techniques from her great aunt, Annie Charley. Her mother, Juanita Dick, taught her how to identify plants. Gladys gathered food and basket material with her mother and grandmother as a child in Dunlap.

There is strenuous work involved in gathering, cleaning, stripping and preparing the materials. Gladys says, "Basketmaking teaches you patience above all else.... Then you will have patience with your children, your students and those who don't understand. Your rewards come through continuing the tradition."

Gladys participated in ACTA's Apprenticeship Program in 2010 with her sister and apprentice Florence Dick.  During their apprenticeship, they completed a large sumai basket from beginning to completion.  Sumai baskets are made from redbud using a twinning technique, and are made for gathering redbud sticks, sedge, sourberry sticks and chaparral, as well as for fishing and gathering and drying plant food.  Gladys guided Florence in traditional gathering techniques at ancestral gathering sites, preparing the material, and weaving a basket.  Florence learned to weave traditional ancestral designs into the basket.

Gladys was also a master artist in the inaugural round of ACTA's Apprenticeship Program in 2000, working with long-time friend Ruby Vargas.  During their apprenticeship, Gladys taught Ruby how to gather and clean sour berry, chaparral, and red bud sticks in Kings Canyon, and then how to weave these materials into baskets.  Of her work as a basketweaver, Ruby says, "I have deep feelings for the baskets. To me, they remind me of life.  I see the people in the baskets.  They are the living, breathing, things that shall remain forever, for my grandchildren to see and enjoy, for my family to know we will always be here.  I shall teach the young women in my family to gather, clean, and make baskets as the elders before me.  And I shall leave this heritage for my family."