ONABA MISSION
The Oklahoma Native American Basketweavers Association preserves, promotes and perpetuates traditional basketry and culture of Native American tribes through educational programs in Oklahoma
2004 Year-end Summary
Message From the Board and Advisors
2005 Year-end Summary
Historical Background
Achievements
Financial Highlights
Receipts
Expenses
Year 2005/2006 Budget Proposals
Year 2005/2006 Challenges
Objectives for Next Year
Conclusion
October 17, 2004, was the last annual meeting for ONABA. We met at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Muskogee, OK. The museum set up a display of baskets for members to examine and photograph. Bylaws were approved. We discussed accomplishments and our goals. Due to the small number of members, instead of electing board officers, we decided to continue giving board members and trustees authority for decisions described in the bylaws with tribal members voting on issues. We completed the year, 12/31/04, with $809.71 in checking.
ONABA has continued a partnership with Carriers of Culture, a major exhibition. About these programs:
“CARRIERS OF CULTURE: CONTEMPORARY NATIVE BASKET TRADITIONS
Marsha MacDowell, Ph.D. Curator and C. Kurt Dewhurst, Ph.D., Director, Michigan State University Museum, in partnership with Native basket weavers organizations in North America, is developing Carriers of Culture: Contemporary Native Basket Traditions, a major exhibition. The exhibit will focus on contemporary Native basketry traditions that exist in North America at the turn of the twentieth century and will examine the ways in which baskets and their makers are--literally and symbolically--“carriers of culture.” The exhibit will provide an opportunity to examine the vitality and diversity of Native basketry as not only a significant component of the artistic expressive heritage of United States and Canada, but also as key artistic forms within distinct tribal groups and First Nations.” Peggy Brennan and Robin McBride Scott represent ONABA in the committees for the exhibition and festival.
As of 10/31/05, we have not had an annual members' meeting. There is a new Yahoo web site for voting members to review documents as the Board members and Advisory Council members made changes in documents of membership form and bylaws. In November, all revised forms will be mailed to voting members for review and comments. Members and associates will also have an opportunity to review the documents at ONABA's web site
In 2005, ONABA purchased the domain name onab.org. There is a monthly fee for the maintenance of the web pages and a yearly fee for the renewal of the domain name. The web site is http://www.onab.org. With the web site, ONABA has an email address of info@onab.org.
Rather than summarizing all events, they are listed below and talked about in achievements.
A small group began meeting in 2001 to discuss forming an organization of basketweavers to promote basketry of the Oklahoma tribes. John Elder, director, of Red Earth Inc. and curator, Tammy Liegerot, hosted a meeting at Red Earth to elect the first officers. See www.onab.org for a listing of the first officers.
Subsequently, Peggy Sanders Brennan filed a Not For Profit Certificate of Incorporation with the Oklahoma Secretary of State, November 2002. The certificate reads “Whereas, the Certificate of Incorporation of Oklahoma Native American Basketweavers Association has been filed in the office of the Secretary of State as provided by the laws of the State of Oklahoma.”
The Not For Profit Certificate of Incorporation, SOS Form 009, gives the number of trustees or directors to be elected at the first meeting. as 4. Listed as trustees were: Debra Laws, Dora Patzowski, Carol Parsons and Barbara Hair. Peggy Brennan was listed as director.
The undersigned incorporators are:
Dora Patzowsky; Debra Laws, Carol Parsons, and Peggy Brennan, all tribally enrolled
Bylaws written and approved in October 2004, gave voting privileges to the trustees. In 10/31/05 changes to the bylaws, the trustees are Advisory Council or Board Members.
Attendance at all classes sponsored by ONABA and at meetings have been well attended by members and visitors. Membership fees and donations have substantially supported ONABA activities. The board and advisory council members will begin planning a budget for the year beginning 2006 to include expenditures for a gathering of ONABA members.
Youth Participation:
Carriers of Culture curatorial team member, Sara Greensfelder, conducted a survey of states with an organization of Native basket weavers. The survey showed that Oklahoma is the only state without a youth component in the basket organization. Members were receptive to setting up goals for youth activity in ONABA. Although, ONABA has not voted to support financially a youth group, with monetary donations from Wahleah Walker and Deb Butterfield, a youth basket weaving group began in September with the sponsorship of the Sand Springs Indian Program. Classes begin at 6:00. Several parents wove a basket with their child. Plenty of help was available from ONABA volunteers Wahleah Walker, Denise Hoff and JoAnn Miller. The Parent Committee meets with the Indian program director, Suzanne Sanders at 6:30. We have approximately an hour and a half to weave. Several of the students have been in 1 to 4 all day summer camp at the school for the past two years. This youth group was chosen as the first youth component of ONABA due to their interest, their parents’ interest, the availability of the school’s building to meet and of course, the support of Suzanne Sanders. We will meet monthly or every other month depending on volunteer availability and the school calendar. The number in attendance and photos of the first class will be in the next newsletter. Our next meeting is November 17, 2005. Barbara Hair has prepared bases for the November meeting. A reporter from the Sand Springs newspaper will be at the class. We need more input from ONABA members about goals for this class as well as more volunteers to teach weaving, oral interviewing and video taping of basket weavers.
Other submissions for the Carriers projects from ONABA members and friends are:
• Native Games and Creation Stories
• Personal Stories by Basket Weavers
• Indigenous Plants List with Cherokee Names
Board/ Advisory Members Issues:
The web site has an updated list. The board members and advisors discussed changing “trustees” as used in the bylaws to Advisory Council. This distinguishes current Advisors from the historical trustees when ONABA applied for non profit status. Board Members and the Advisory Council, discussed at length whether or not to allow only enrolled Natives to be voting members in both groups. We decided as a majority to allow non enrolled Natives to participate in voting if they are a board member unless a change is made in bylaws. The consensus was that we want ONABA to be inclusive and that we need and value our Associate Members’ contributions in order to remain a strong organization and to grow. Some member statements about inclusion of Associate members in activities will be in the upcoming newsletters. You are welcome to submit opposing views. We reviewed the Indians Arts and Crafts Act and had many discussions about ONABA bylaws meeting the requirements of the act. We decided that the primary purpose of ONABA sponsored booths would be to further ONABA mission and goals. Rather than selling baskets as a primary function, we will emphasize demonstrations. The booths will be set up for membership drives, fundraising, etc.
In November 2004, Marcia invited BWGOK and ONABA members to gather buckbrush at her home. We plan to have a yearly buckbrush gathering.
ONABA sponsored booths:
Background of web site: Several years ago, Tammy Liegerot Elder and John Elder asked Nikolay Tchaouchev for assistance in purchasing a domain name for ONAB and setting up web pages. Nikolay has maintained this site for ONABA at no cost to our organization. He has allowed us to edit and add new pages at no additional cost. We purchased the domain name and a year of web site maintenance for $57.95. By keeping the same web site server and host, we paid reduced costs, and had no interruptions in the web site. The company is Filogics LLC., Edmond, OK.
Suzanne Sanders, Educational Director. Thanks to teaches Jo Ann Miller, Wahleah Walker, Denise Hoff. Thanks to Jo Ann, Wahleah and Barbara Hair for preparing enough wicker bases for all students and parents in the class to have a beginning basket. Thanks to Deb Butterfield and Wahleah Walker for financial assistance. Thanks to Jackie Carlson for sending materials at her cost.
After about two years of taking classes in traditional Muscogee (Creek) baskets, many Muscogee (Creek) Indians now weave regularly. Beginning this year their tribal member, Mary Smith is their teacher. Mary is an ONABA member. She studied museum baskets and private collection baskets to learn the traditional and complicated border and is teaching the border in the classes sponsored by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. For class enrollment, call the Creek Council House Museum. Ted Isham allowed class members to study baskets in the museum collection. Joyce Bear, Muskogee (Creek) Nation, located funding for these continuing classes.
Members, submit an article about your classes for this year and upcoming classes for inclusion in the newsletter.
Robin Scott McBride has designed a draft logo with board member approval. She has been given the go ahead to complete the design. The proposed logo is a turtle with symbols representing Oklahoma and OK Indian Tribes. Robin is a graphic artist with many art awards. She has taught several of us techniques for processing river cane and how to weave the diagonal double weave basket. ONABA will own the logo with some rights retained by the artist. Robin has contributed much to ONABA as an honorary member for many years.
In non commercial areas, we can continue to use Norma Howard's photo of the original print purchased by
Tammy Liegerot. Thanks to Tammy for requesting permission from award winning Norma Howard to use the photo as our logo for several years.
Kirkpatrick Bank, Edmond, OK
Acct. 10227374 Account Name: Oklahoma Native American Basketweavers Association
Member Renewals and New Members for 2005 (www.onab.org)
| Debra Laws pd in 04 for 05 | Marcy Robinowitz pd in 04 for 05 |
| Onita Lynch 17 | Del Woodruff 15 | Vivian Havenstrite 17 |
| Mary Smith 15 | Wahleah Walker 15 | Denise Hoff 15 |
| Leta Jones 25 * includes donation | Charlotte Coates 15 | Valarie Blea 15 |
| Gunter Anderson 65 * includes donation | Wahleah Walker 25 *web site donation | Gunter Anderson 100 *donation mailings |
| Marie Deffenbaugh 15 | Nancy Basket 30 | DeLavon Lyford 15 |
| Rebecca Smythe 30 | Barbara Hair 30 | Philbrook Mus 15 |
| Deb Butterfield 30 | Jackie Carlson 15 | Mary Edmondson 15 |
| Mary Smith 15 | Dianne Dowd 30 | Dianne Dowd 30 |
| Rena Vickery 15 | Debra Smith 30 | Kelly Lunsford 15 |
| Deb Butterfield 80*donation for youth | Susie Buzza Smith 30 | Carol Parsons 15 |
| Peggy Brennan 15 | Peggy Brennan 60 *donation for youth
(includes Wahleah W. donation) |
Bernice Kopel 15 |
| Sally Groves 15 | Laurel Annette Morgan 30 |
| Ending Bal 10/31/04 | Begin Bal 1/1/05 |
Ending Bal 10/31/05 |
| 953 | 809.71 | 817.50 |
2/23/05 Postage 37. Postage
3/16/05 PO Box 38. 6 mo rental
4/10/05 Greater Ebiz 29.85 web page
4/16/05 Office Depot 117.15 Supplies
4/22/05 Postmaster 14.93 Postage
4/22/05 Postmaster 58.62 Postage
4/30/05 Jacobson House 50. Booth
5/25/05 Postmaster 16.15 Postage
5/28/05 Postmaster 26.85 Postage
5/18/05 Walgreens 14.38 Supplies
9/13/05 PO Box 38. 6 mo
9/19/05 SummerMeadow 145.82 Supplies Youth Class Wholesale
9/19/05 Filogics 57.95 Domain Name & Web Hosting for 1 yr.
Monthly bank fees $10 for ONAB Account
Statements are available for review.
Submitted by Peggy Brennan 10/31/05
Following issuance of this report with the revised bylaws, a newsletter will be mailed or posted to www.onab.org. Take this opportunity to tell us about your activities and accomplishments this year. Also send your calendar events that members may be interested in attending next year.
The following comments are positive, informative and we need many more comments from our members for our newsletter.
Comments after the first Sand Springs youth basket class “I think the kids and parents all did very well on their baskets. And, yes they were all willing to wait their turn for help. I am so glad JoAnn was available, she is so good with children. She also suggested a way to end a single wall when the spokes were really to far apart and it turned out great. Wahleah”
Oklahoma Native American Basketweavers Association Report 2006
Prepared by Peggy Brennan for ONABA with review and editing by ONABA Board and Advisory Council Members
Please send additions to this report or corrections to:
ONAB
PO Box 7234,
Edmond, OK 73083-7234
info@onab.org