From time immemorial, basketmaking has been integral to Akwesasne Mohawk culture – a way to give thanks for creation, unite generations, and celebrate tribal values. A skill passed down from generation to generation, Akwesasne basketmaking is renowned for its artistry and intricate design.
The raw material for these baskets – the black ash tree – once thrived in the tribal marshland along the Canadian-New York border. Today, ash trees are increasingly scarce – victims of pollution, overharvesting, habitat destruction and development.
Now ash trees face an even more serious threat: the emerald ash borer, an invasive Asian beetle, is devastating North America’s ash trees, threatening to eradicate the entire population. A warming climate is aiding the borer’s rapid spread.
Sheila Ransom, Basket (2018). Black ash and sweetgrass. ©Sheila Ransom, 2018. Courtesy of the artist.
Artists’ statement:
Basketmaking has always been central to our culture. It connects us – to our history, our environment and each other.
Basketmaking takes knowledge. You have to know which trees to select. You can’t just use any tree; you need one that is straight and strong. You need to know how to pound the wood to make it separate along annual growth rings, how to soak it and how to use your hands – and sometimes your teeth, as your “third arm” – to fashion it.
To preserve our culture, we need to pass this knowledge to younger generations. But black ash is increasingly scarce – and faces new threats.
A few emerald ash borers have reached our land, but we know many more are coming – and more rapidly than scientists had initially predicted. We have to be ready for them. Our community is collecting and saving seeds to regenerate ash stands. We are planting trees too, refining our understanding of how best to manage them. And lacking ash, we are experimenting with using different materials – cedar, birch and basswood, for example, but we have yet to find material with the flexibility and strength of black ash.
Because it takes 40-50 years for ash trees to grow to a good size, only future generations will see the fruits of our labor. We persevere because ash trees are a gift of creation. It is our responsibility to protect and preserve them for future generations.
Artists’ website: http://mohawkmade.com
See also:
Akwesasne Cultural Center: http://akwesasneculturalcenter.org/
National Museum of the American Indian: https://americanindian.si.edu/environment/akwesasne/GetStarted.cshtml
