Cultural Connections: Passing on Traditions

For generations, basket weavers were an important part of a household. They wove the essential tools for gathering, transporting and storing food. They were also a critical part of some traditions like the wine ceremony, where they used to gather and store cactus fruit while it fermented.

Traditionally, baskets were woven by women. Young women would present their pieces during the basket dance, sharing their talent, hard work and patience with the community.

Unfortunately, for two generations, the art of basket weaving was nearly lost. However, there are women in the community, and some men, who are bringing the tradition back to life. Alice Manuel is one of them. Her interest in baskets, and later weaving, began at an early age.

“I remember that my father’s mother had four or five baskets on top of her fridge,” recalled Alice. “Though I never touched them, they intrigued me.”

Baskets were a rare sight because back then, the culture was to burn all belongings when someone passed away, so there were not many baskets left in the community.

When she was 7 or 8, Alice remembers attending a community trade fair and passing a booth with a basket in progress. The weaver was not there, but Alice was again fascinated. Years later, Alice learned that the missing weaver was her husband’s mother, Hilda Manuel. At the time, Hilda was the only active basket weaver in Salt River.

When Alice had a daughter, Alice asked Hilda if she thought she would ever make a basket for her daughter, she said she had so many orders it would difficult. Alice thought about it and decided if she wanted her daughter to have a basket she would have to learn how to make one. So she and her mother joined a class of women taught by Hilda. Alice was the youngest, just 19.

“For me, it’s like therapy hanging with the ladies... I want my daughters to know that joy too.”

They had three years of learning with Hilda, who passed away in 1987, Alice and her mother turned to weavers from other communities, such as master weaver, Ricky Francisco in Gila River, to learn more. Throughout the 90s, Alice and her mother, and sister-in-law, Berdina Burke, were the only active weavers in Salt River.

Today, Alice is teaching five women from the community who are committed to learning basket weaving. Tasha Silverhorn is one of them. She began in 2009 with a Cultural Resources class taught by Alice.

“I remember I was pregnant and it was something I want to try,” said Tasha. “It’s a long process gathering the cattail, devil’s claw and willow. It teaches patience.”

Tasha is still working on her first basket. She has two daughters and a younger sister she hopes will decide to join her at the river to gather materials this summer.

“For me, it’s like therapy hanging with the ladies,” said Tasha. “I want my daughters to know that joy too.”

Dawn Sinoqui agreed.

“It is so rewarding to create with your hands and to sit with the other women for a weave and, talk, laugh or cry,” said Dawn, who took 11 years to complete her first basket. “It was hard to give it away. I could look at the pattern and remember what was going on in my life as I was making it.”

It is tradition to give the first basket to the teacher or someone the weaver respects as a thank you. Alice received Dawn’s basket.

Dawn is now working on her second basket, a small one. She too hopes that one or more of her daughters will decide to join the harvest at the river this summer.

“It is my responsibility to keep it going. I have four daughters, so there is no excuse,” said Dawn. “This is special to the O’odham and we have to keep it going.”

Raeann Brown was just 12 when she first went to the river. She is Alice’s daughter and understands the hesitancy of younger girls to begin basket weaving.

“At first I thought we were going to swim, and I was a rebellious teen. I didn’t want to get up that early so I didn’t start weaving until years later,” recalled Raeann.

In fact, it wasn’t until she had her children that Raeann finally joined a class. She found that she had strong hands and enjoyed working with the devil’s claw.

“Basket weaving is more than just making baskets, it is the gathering and preparation of the materials before you

“Basket weaving is more than just making baskets, it is the gathering and preparation of the materials before you can even start...”

can even start. You can’t just run to Michael’s for supplies,” said Raeann. Cattails are harvested in the river in summer. The reeds are cut below the water where they emerge from the mud. After they are cut, they are brought to the bank of the river and stripped of their blade-shaped leaves. Each weaver takes an equal amount of cattail which is dried and laid in the sun to dry for a few days. When dry, they are stored tied together in a cool dry place until ready to prepare for weaving. The preparation process begins with breaking a cattail in half, then split into strips using a knife. The inner pith is removed. Devil’s claw has two harvesting seasons, depending on the weather. It is harvested and formed into balls with the claws overlapping each other. Gathering river willow is a selective process, each willow switch is examined carefully, if there are any discolorations, evidence of insect bites, or an abundance of leaves growing from a branch we will not collect it. After enough willow is gathered, it is split into strips with either the bark on or off, bundled, and dried for storage.

The devil’s claw must be soaked for hours, before being ready for processing and eventually, weaving. Devil’s claw is tough and most of the time is used to create the basket base and edge, places that receive the most wear.

It also forms the darker colors of the basket pattern. River willow is thinner and requires less soaking time. It forms the lighter areas of a basket design.

As a mother of a special needs son, and as someone described as “hotheaded” in her youth, Raeann found the entire process of basket weaving therapeutic and calming.

“Weaving taught me to be more patient with myself. When I get angry or frustrated, I just stop and wait for a fresh mind,” said Raeann.

Raeann is also hoping her daughter will join them at the river this summer and decide to learn basket weaving.

Since the beginning, the women were instructed to leave out their weaving so their children would grow up seeing baskets and seeing their mothers working on them.

“The baskets are a gift from the Creator who gave us the plants that were sacrificed to allow us to make the tools to provide for families and so we could care for one another, to survive,” said Alice. “It was a gift given to us that we’re to continue to teach our young ones.”

And they are…one basket at a time.