Basket Weave

Elsie Allen Baskets – A Step Into the Past

One of the master basket weavers of the Pomo Native American Tribe was Elsie Allen, the author of a number of how-to books in the art of Pomo basket weaving. She worked to preserve this art form that defines her people and Elsie’s descendants carry on that legacy today.

Born in 1899, Elsie was raised by her grandmother in the Cloverdale area of northern California. The young girl learned the art of Pomo basket weaving from her mother, Annie Burke, and her grandmother, Nellie Burke, as well as a number of other older Pomo women that congregated at the family home. These women spent hours weaving these items, which were given as gifts, sold, or kept as heirlooms.

At the age of eleven, Elsie Allen was captured by government authorities, who packed her off to a boarding school to learn the English language and American ways. She continued to practice her basket weaving craft while she was away to ensure that she would not forget the techniques that were taught to her by her family and people.

Elsie returned to her family as a young woman and took up weaving with her family right where she had left off. Once she had married, Elsie had to work a variety of jobs, such as a domestic and a farm laborer, which left her very little time to practice the craft that she loved. It was at this point that her mother Annie began to train Elsie’s children in this ancient craft.

An interesting tradition among the Pomo basket weavers included the burial of their baskets and weaving equipment and tools with them when they died. Annie begged Elsie to ignore this tradition as she wanted her daughter to have these items when she could begin her own basket weaving craft again. Upon Annie’s death, Elsie retained all these valuable artifacts and kept her promise to her mother.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Elsie Allen organized the Pomo basket weavers and began to write books describing the steps that are used in making these extraordinary items. The money raised from her writings and the baskets that the weavers sold was used to help Pomo families in distress, to set up Native American college scholarships, and to finance a large lawsuit on behalf of the Pomo tribe.

Elsie Allen also served as a Pomo activist, fighting for the reclamation of Native American land and struggling to establish equal rights for her people in a very biased 1950s California. She also began to teach Pomo basket weaving to anyone who wanted to learn, regardless of race. As many of her students were white women, her own people began to criticize her as undermining their way of life.

In 1972, Elsie wrote of her disappointment in her attempts to pass on the Pomo basket weaving craft. Very few of her students at this point were Native Americans, although the attention that her classes drew from universities did help the Pomo people to be accepted by the general population.

In 1980, Elsie Allen finally found an apprentice that could learn and pass on the art of Pomo basket weaving in the form of her great-niece, Susie Billy. This niece continues to teach Pomo basket weaving classes and has served as a collaborator on several books detailing this art form.

In 1990, upon Elsie Allen’s death, the collection of baskets and tools that belonged to Annie Burke as well as items that were added by Elsie passed on to Elsie’s oldest daughter, Genevieve Allen Aguilar. Genevieve has placed this valuable collection of Pomo artifacts on a long-term loan to The Mendocino County Museum, where the works of these incredible women can still be viewed.

About the Author

We have baby gift baskets that are cute and practical. Perfect for the newborn and new moms. For more information, visit this article on
baby gift baskets
.

How To Crochet A Basket Weave Stitch – RH

Oxo Stainless Steel Strainer, Double Rod 6 strainer is 14 in overall length, with a2-1/2 deep bowl. 8 strainer is 16 in overall length, with a 3-1/2 deep bowl. 6 and 8 indicate diameters including the outer rim of the bowl.Available in 6 and 8 sizes, the Oxo Good Grips strainers feature fine mesh for straining vegetables, berries, pasta and more.Stainless steel double rod construction makes these strainers extra sturdy, anda small loop l…

Wilton 2104-2546 53 Piece Supreme Cake Decorating Set $19.95 If you’ve dreamed of becoming a cake decorator extraordinaire, this decorating set from Wilton has everything you need to get started. Learn how to make icing leaves, roses, stars, ribbons, and basket-weave designs with the 18 different metal decorating tips. Those perfect icing roses everyone is always so eager to pluck off the cake are easily fashioned with the help of the 1-1/4-inch flower nail…

4 Pack Oversized Dish Cloth sets by Cotton Craft – size 15×15 – Pure 100% Cotton – Crisp Basketweave striped pattern with a hanging loop – Highly absorbent, soft & sturdy – in 6 cheerful colors Spice, Green, Red, Linen, Black & Blue – Easy care machine wash – Coordinating kitchen towels sold separately We have been manufacturing home textiles and linens of unsurpassed quality to the highest international standards since 1968. We offer a complete range of luxury, spa, hotel, resort, bath, beach, kitchen, decorative, whimsical, utility, and kids linens. We offer uncompromising quality at the lowest cost by combining our family owned vertically integrated manufacturing with Amazon’s world class tec…

Basket Weaving – Making the Nesting Basket [VHS] $34.95 This is a complete video instruction of making a nesting basket featuring Jo-Ann L’ange . Jo-Ann has been teaching basket weaving since 1990. She is a member of the Ohio Valley Basket Weavers Guild. She will show you step by step, from material selection to the last tuck, how to weave this particular type of basket. This video is 75 minutes, shot close up and easy to understand….

Carrara Marble Italian White Bianco Carrera Basketweave Mosaic Tile with Bardiglio Gray Dots Honed $15.45 Beautiful premium grade, hand crafted grey and white honed marble mosaics are perfect for both residential and commercial projects. A large selection of coordinating products is available and includes hexagon mosaics, 3×6 subway tiles, borders, moldings and baseboards. The natural stone products carried by Natural Stone Wholesaler are unique. We carry only the finest European marble and all of ou…

Weave Washable Stair Treads Set of 4 – Brown – Improvements If your pet has trouble climbing wood stairs, just set these anti-slip stair treads in place. Weave Washable Stair Treads are soft cotton that feels great underfoot. Our Weave Washable Stair Treads are larger than comparable styles, giving you more rug for the money. Our stylish basket-weave anti-slip stair treads are soft machine washable cotton.These anti-slip stair treads will protect your wood…

HWC Leather Mini Maglite Mag BASKETWEAVE Black Flashlight Case Holder Holster Open Top with Snap & Belt Loop $5.99 Black Basketweave Leather *For “AA” Mini Mag or Similar Flashlights *Open Top / Bottom Design *Belt Loop & Snap for Duty Belts *Great Deal, LOW LOW Price!…

Dominican Cake and Decorating Techniques $34.99 This DVD demonstrates all the techniques needed to bake and decorate a Dominican Cake. Maria Mirtala Negron will instruct you as she demonstrates the techniques step by step. This is an excellent beginners workshop. Part one shows you how to make Dominican frosting from scratch. In part two she demonstrates how to make your own parchment paper bags as well as using the disposable type. Part three …

Basket Weaving Essentials with Nadine Spier $39.99 Learn how to coil exquisite baskets with award-winning fiber artist Nadine Spier. Beginners and experienced basketmakers will enjoy the clear, concise instruction, abundance of information and excellent HD close-up photography showing details of all techniques demonstrated. Watching the DVD is like taking several basket classes! What a bargain! See artist website for more info.You will learnHow to…

Basketweave (DVD) (Slim LIne Case) $1.80 BASKETWEAVE – DVD Movie…