Basket weaving by Native Americans in California is a year-round activity requiring years to learn all the specialized skills including gathering, preparing, and storing materials, in addition to the actual weaving process. For many, teaching basket weaving to a younger family member is also an important way to convey other cultural features and values. Avis Punkin, a tribal member of the North Folk Mono, will guide her granddaughter Carly Tex in the entire process of making a traditional coiled cooking basket which is woven tight enough to hold liquid such as acorn soup. They will start with the gathering of sedge, deer grass, black root, and red bud before beginning the actual coiling process. Carly, who already has experience with the twining process used to weave cradleboards and gathering baskets, looks forward to this opportunity to increase her basket weaving skills and to learn more about her culture from her grandmother.
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| Carly Tex and her basket |
Carly Tex gathering plants |
Read more about California basketweavers
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