Despite a resurgence of interest over the last couple of decades, basketweaving by the members of the Karuk and other California tribes is always endangered. Lifestyle changes during the last century put at risk the continuation of the tradition, and today that pressure continues. Basketmaking involves many skills in addition to those of actual weaving. The basketweaver must know when and where to gather the plant materials, plus how to process and prepare them for weaving. Thus, basketry expertise requires extraordinary amounts of time, effort, and specialized knowledge. It is fortunate when master artists are willing to share their expertise with others and that young tribal members express and interest in learning the traditional ways of their people, including basketweaving. Today, many kinds of baskets have a major role in tribal ceremonies.
An experienced Karuk basketweaver who learned from renowned weavers Ella Johnson and Lee Peters, LaVerne Glaze is committed to preserving all aspects of the art. Now that she has retired, she teaches weekly weaving lessons to children in the Orleans Elementary School and on Sunday to adult members of the community. Glaze has been a board member of the California Indian Basketweavers Association for several years and has also worked with local government agencies to educate them on plant management to improve the quality of the natural materials essential to basketweaving. Eliminating the use of pesticides in the forests and knowing when and how to prune and burn, for example, are crucial to harvesting materials that are good for making baskets.
Angela Allgier, who is Glaze's granddaughter, is interested in improving her basketweaving skills, including the gathering and preparation of the necessary willow and spruce roots, willow and hazel sticks, woodwardia and maidenhair fern, alder bark, and bear grass, so that she can participate more fully in tribal traditions and pass on to her own young daughters the importance of their culture. She says, "Basketry is in every part of Karuk tradition from ceremonies to everyday life. I believe wealth lies in what you know and can pass on to future generations. I would like to carry on in my Grandmother's footsteps."
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