Oklahoma Native American Basketweavers

Laurel Annette Morgan           

Cherokee Heritage

Laurel's Baskets                                                Photos

I'm a 65 year old woman of Cherokee heritage, not enrolled, and getting here to this place of learning to weave traditional baskets has been a long journey.

I believe this group will help me and others like me to learn this skill and teach us the history of these baskets and the women who made them.  I would also be very pleased to someday teach my granddaughters and my sister this skill if they wish to learn it.

Sing Me A Basket

Little basket, I sing I sing,

Little basket be strong

Like my warrior's hands.

I sing like grandmother,

Her face turned into the sun.

She sings little basket come alive

With the river tumbling by her side

She weaves the strands little basket,

And sings for a good catch.

She sings for a good crop,

She sings for a baby

To fill her belly and her basket.

She sings for plenty

She sings for love,

Little basket, I sing I sing,

Be strong and forever full

©L.A. Morgan 2005

Part of this long journey to the basket weavers was to finally, after 50 long years, meet the sister I had never met and had never known. During our first time together she taught me how to make pine needle baskets.

My sister carries the body and the spirit of a spider in her medicine bag. She tells me the story of her spider as we sit at my kitchen table making pine needle baskets. Some of the pine needles we collected are soaking in warm water and some are finished soaking and ready to use. She is teaching me how to make these baskets and our fingers are flying, weaving threads and coiling pine needles as we talk and laugh. We are also weaving our hearts and our spirits because this is the first time we have ever met even though she is 52 years old, and I am 64. It is April of 2005. Her baskets are beautiful, like she is. Their openings are a perfect circle and their patterns are symmetric. My baskets are lopsided every time, imperfect like I am. She and I have the same birthfather (who I did not know) and different mothers. She confirms for me our Cherokee heritage through our father.

My sister and I are a complete sacred circle this day and we are perfect.

The question has been asked:

"If Indian baskets are made of non traditional and/or commercial materials do you think they maintain their cultural significance?"

Yes, I believe they do. According to what I have learned so far, Cherokee basket weavers have had to adapt to many changes over the years, including environment and changes in their location. The original basket weavers used whatever natural materials were available and those which made a good strong basket. As the lifestyle and location of the basket weaver changed, then so did the materials used. I believe what has remained constant through all those changes is the baskets' significance in tradition, spirituality, and design regardless of what kinds of materials were used to weave them.

A chance contact with an ONAB member brought me into the group and provided me with a way to learn one of the skills of my ancestors.  I look forward to making many baskets.

BASKET TECHNIQUES USED:

Wicker Plaited

Plaited Twill

Coiled pine needle

MATERIALS IN WEAVING:

Palm Rattan

Pine Needles

Hamburg Cane

Cane

DESIGNS:

OTHER ART:

Laurel is also a giften writer.  She writes under the name Red Shirt. 

There is also a story of her grandson called "grandson and the flute" which she believes is a good example of blood memory/clan memory/ancestral memory

View this story and others Laurel's Writings

http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/user_id/redshirt

© Page edited by Peggy Sanders Brennan and submitted by artist, August 23, 2006