In the News

Pioneer Woman Museum Folk Art Institute

Rebecca Brave, director Pioneer Woman Museum Folk Art Institute, is requesting applications for classes and workshops.  You may email her for details at rbrave@okhistory.org.  The museum is located in Ponca City, OK and the folk art institute began in 2006.  Rebecca reports "we had a very successful year with a total of 18 different workshops. But we would like to offer more classes."  Renewing Traditions previously reported that Rebecca had a successful basketry exhibit of old and contemporary baskets at the museum. Several of BWGOK and ONABA members participated in the exhibit by providing baskets, demonstrating, teaching and setting up the exhibit.  She is offering Oklahoma basket weavers many opportunities. 

American Indian Cultural Center
Oklahoma City - Cultural Center - A living center for contemporary American Indian culture that will reflect its people's diverse heritage, background, character, homelands and values.  The web site is http://www.aiccm.com

The cultural center has several exhibits scheduled. Their web site has this statement: 

SHARE KNOWLEDGE • HONOR ANCESTORS • PROMOTE PEACE  • NURTURE CHILDREN
  BUILD RELATIONSHIPS • SUSTAIN TRADITIONS • DISPEL STEREOTYPES
BRIDGE GENERATIONS • DEFINE NATIONS
REVEAL CONTINUITY 

Oklahoma Centennial Web Site

Oklahoma celebrates its 100th anniversary of statehood on November 16, 2007, and all across the 46th state, communities and organizations are getting ready.  Some of our basket weavers will be included in these events.

http://www.oklahomacentennial.com

NMAI Magazine Honors ONABA

ONABA is mentioned in the current issue of the American Indian Magazine.  The article is about the Carriers of Culture Programs.  Visit American Indian Magazine: http://www.nmai.si.edu/

http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?sub page=press

Links for Beginning Weavers

Basic Beginner Basketry

Links to Free Patterns

http://onab.org/BasicBeginnerBasketryLink.htm

Cathryn Peters' Article

Other Basket Weaving Links
http://www.summermeadow.com/basketrylinks.htm

2006 Archives

Kids World

Frybread and Roses Exhibit

http://RenewingTraditions.htm

Louisiana Folklife Program

http://onab.org/LouisianaFolklifeProgram.htm

Updates

Renewing Traditions is edited frequently so do return for more information.  A portion of the newsletter is mailed to current ONABA members the end of each quarter   Download a membership form:

http://onab.org/Membershipforms_000.htm

David France, ONABA Liaison

Marjorie Hunt accepted David France as liaison for ONABA. David photographed and videotaped activities and basket weavers for ONABA.  Marjorie Hunt, curator for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival wrote, "The program will be an incredible way for people to see at a glance all the richness and diversity of Native cultures in the U.S. Best wishes, Marjorie."

Email pbweave@yahoo.com to view all photos he took during the festival, June 29, 2006 - July 11, 2006.  Photos will soon be online for purchase.

Guest Writers

Rodger Harris

OK History Center

What is Traditional

Friday, August 11, 2006 (an email to Peggy Brennan)

I have encountered your question before. In the 1970s I used to visit and occasionally do field work in Stone County, Arkansas. The county was the poorest in the nation in the 1960s but was rising from the ashes. Most of the economic progress was the result of the completion of the Ozark Folk Center in Mt View. Musicians, dancers, crafts people and others show how things were done and in many cases were still done. My grandmother made braided rag rugs and crocheted rugs for her living so I was very much interested in how the local folks did the same. Most had quit making braided rugs since wool scraps were hard to come by. You know we went through the double knit scare. I was scared into two leisure suits.

When wool rag was no longer available the rug makers in the Stone County area began making rugs using plastic shopping bags. The bags were cut into strips very similar to the wool rags and then crocheted into rugs. The rugs looked similar from a distance but were clearly different in appearance when held in your hand. The rugs were in some ways better than their wool counterparts. The bag rugs were easy to keep clean and they were a great cushion under your feet. The local folks thought they
were superior. I was told that the plastic rugs did not sell well for a year or two. And then sellers had the buyers stand on the rug. Soon after that time they began to sell very well. They were cheaper to make and there was a little less time needed to make the rug from plastic. The bag rugs were sold alongside quilts and other hand crafted items in stores and along the roadside. Were the bag rugs traditional?

This issue has come up with string musical instrument makers, Luthiers. Some Luthiers say the if a guitar or violin is made with power tools then it is not made in the traditional fashion. Tradition is a big concept among classical and flamenco guitar players and among fine violin makers. It does seem to me that if the power tools had been available to Ramirez or Stradivari they would have gladly used the tools. After all they were interested in the final product. They were the masters for each archetype classic guitar and violin.

The question may need to be stated differently. Are baskets made with non-traditional materials a part of an evolving tradition? I think they usually are. Materials used in evolving traditions are usually somewhat similar to the earlier forms. But in the case of the rag rug makers they could no longer find the original materials.

In the case of many basket styles it may be very difficult for the maker to find the original materials. So are beaded Nikes shoes traditional. Well maybe the patterns or symbols are much like the earlier moccasins. But most folks would say this is going a little to far. Are metallic strips and threads used in pow wow outfits non traditional? I think many folks would say this is the pow wow in the 21st Century...this is a new tradition. I think the curator, writer, scholar, or bearer of tradition must commit to an opinion. So my answer is: yes as long as the materials used are somewhat similar to the earlier forms. How are plastic bags similar to the wool rag. The rag was a scrap usually given away. So the low cost or no cost and serviceability of the plastic shopping bag is similar.

Harvey Pratt's Centennial blanket is manufactured in a factory and is not similar to early trading blankets. The trading blankets are considered traditional. However, Harvey's symbols used are traditional. The eagle, the sissortail, the Osage shield are all important visually to Oklahomans. So part of the answer to your question must be: is the design, symbols, applied art, colors of any art or utilitarian object are dear to people. Harvey's blanket's symbols evoke the symbols present in our collective memory but it isn't traditional. So looking at a basket or touching a basket made with non traditional materials must in some way be similar to the older form and must look and feel somewhat like the older form. I feel too many scholars feel that a traditional object must be almost exactly like the older form. Folks make the item traditional not scholars. If you are comfortable in describing the creator of the object as within a traditional experience then it is traditional. Sorry I don't have anything to say about the subject.
Rodger

Carriers of Culture

On the Future of Native Basket Making in America..., excerpt

"For Native Baskets to continue to be "carriers of culture" for Native traditions, there are still many challenges to overcome.  The ever-changing natural and built landscape in the United States is leading to loss of plants essential to weaving.  As more land moves into private ownership, weavers encounter increasingly limited access to traditional gathering sites.  Non-Native land management practices will continue to affect the health of plant materials and of weavers themselves. "  to be continued in the Spring '07 newsletter.

Excerpts of article by C. Kurt Dewhurst; Marsha MacDowell; Marjorie Hunt who all served as curators of the 2006 Festival program Carriers of Culture: Living Native Basket Traditions

More Guest Writers: 

http://onab.org/Renewingtraditionsguests.htm

Dr. W. Richard West, Jr. , NMAI

“Native Weaving: Enduring Traditions of Life and Commerce”

Laurel Annette Morgan

Grandson's Flute and the Ancestral Memories

Donna Cronk

Robin McBride Scott - Carriers of Culture http://onab.org/RobinScottinCarriersofCulture.htm

RIC ROUTLEDGE

Woman, daughter to weave baskets in Smithsonian festival

http://www.onab.org/womananddaughter.htm

America Meredith

Frybread and Roses Exhibit & Press Release

Kelley Lunsford - Robin Scott

http://onab.org/FrybreadandRosesPressRelease.htm

Peggy Brennan

Honoring Our Youth

http://onab.org/HonoringOurYouth.htm

Smithsonian Folklife Participants

http://onab.org/SmithsonianFolklifeParticipants.htm