The Culture and History of Basket Weaving

THE BASKET MAKING OF THE CHEROKEE




I thought in between the posts on the Cherokee Museum I would list more sites for you to link to Cherokee and Native American history and culture of basket making.  Just click on the highlighted words and it will take you to sites with more in-depth information.


“Material culture can be a window onto the changes that occur in social and cultural history,” said Fariello, an associate professor and chief architect of the Craft Revival Project at Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library. 


A tradition that dates back almost ten thousand years, basketry is an integral aspect of Cherokee culture. In the mountains of Western North Carolina, stunning baskets are still made from rivercane, white oak and honeysuckle and dyed with roots and bark. Cherokee Basketry describes the craft's forms, functions and methods and records the tradition's celebrated makers. This complex art-passed down from mothers to daughters-is a thread that bonds modern Native Americans to ancestors and traditional ways of life. Anna Fariello, associate professor at Western Carolina University, reveals that baskets hold much more than food and clothing. Woven with the stories of those who produce and use them, these masterpieces remain a powerful testament to creativity and imagination. (review for book)


Cherokee Basket Making History

American Indian Arts and Crafts
 site that has products for sale

Cherokee Arts and Crafts 
site that has products for sale

Cherokee Arts and Crafts, and Symbols
book for sale


Cherokee Baskets
book for sale

From the Hands of Our Elders
book for sale

photo from Cherokee Museum     Elizabeth Gordon

CHEROKEE MUSEUM

Cherokee Reservation, North Carolina

Early photos of a Cherokee woman and her daughter making pottery
Photo with permission of Cherokee Museum

Cherokee Arts and Crafts(click)

Early handmade pot

Clay figure

Cherokee method of coil pottery 

THE POWER OF THE CHEROKEE WOMAN(click)

Firing of pots Cherokee style

Here is a link to Cherokee customs for children and adults(click).  One of the interesting facts is the strong role of women in the Cherokee culture.   The woman controlled the pottery making and therefore the home.  The pottery is hand built in the coil method and then a wooden paddle is used to pat out and round the pot.  It is smoothed and readied for firing.  The Cherokee used a low fire method of firing their pots, which did leave them vulnerable to cracking easily.  The fire also smoked the pots turning them into shades of brow and black.  I apologize for the quality of the photo's, but with the small camera I am using I cannot overcome the yellowing of light due to the effect of the electric lights.