The Basket Tree
One of the oldest crafts in Native American culture is basket making. The communities in the northeast make baskets out of many materials including birch bark, split wood of ash trees and sweet grass. The strongest being those made from the wood of brown or black ash trees, known as basket trees.
These slow-growing trees grow along streams and in bogs and swamps, but only in the Northeastern United States and Southeastern Canada. The wet landscapes they grow in produce more flexible strands good for weaving.
The logs selected for basket making are straight and about 8-10 feet in length. Once the bark is peeled from the log, the splints are pounded using the back of an ax or sledgehammer. The results are sheets
about 1/16” thick that are peeled off each layer of the growth ring. These splints are used to make baskets for practical purposes. More preparation goes into making more delicate fancy baskets.
Ash Basket Making in New England
Before European contact, Indigenous peoples in New England made woven baskets for practical uses. They used these baskets to carry items, gather food, and trap fish. Post-contact, people began to use fancy baskets. These baskets were made with forms and splints. They used natural plant materials. They were often small, lightweight, and beautifully decorated. Crafters created basket molds to help make uniformly shaped baskets. They often sold these baskets to European settlers. Basket making became a way for people to earn a living. It also allowed the makers to travel from town to town to sell their baskets.
Baskets showcased individual character of the people who made them. Generations have passed down traditional ash basket techniques. While using ash strips to weave baskets is an ancient practice, many weavers today are making objects that would surprise their ancestors. They are experimenting with color, form, function.
In the next few years, black ash split baskets, ash bark baskets, and hand-carved ash cradleboards will be very rare. This is because an insect is killing ash trees. Emerald Ash Borer beetles invaded North America and Canada. These insects can kill an ash tree in 3-5 years and have killed millions of ash trees in the past two decades. Many Northeastern Nations are working with the government to find ways to protect the ash trees. They are preserving seeds and making videos to document the basket making process. These efforts aim to replant trees and teach future generations the basket-making skills of their ancestors. Shop for Baskets and other handmade collectibles!
Find Ash Baskets and Basket Making Kits at The Wandering Bull, LLC
We offer antique and vintage handmade ash baskets as well as pine needle basket kits to make your own! We also have a selection of books on traditional basket making.
