More pieces from the Vinita Cultural Center from last year's basketry exhibit
#the museum i worked at had a collection of these baskets!!!#they are like #idk its hard to describe them #they dont look quite like regular baskets they look like so beautiful #anyways check out the Mountain Heritage Center's exhibit on cherokee/rivercane baskets to learn more
Yes, for some reason I don't think they had any Rivercane baskets at this exhibit, the Vinita cultural center is a bit small so maybe that had to do with it? But traditionally Rivercane baskets look like this:
(credit to Lizzie "Nannie" Youngblood and Rowana Bradley, artist unknown for the Chief's Heart shoppers basket)
The basket pictured in the post is likely commercial round reed (with some flat reed), the commercial form of the materials we would use such as Honeysuckle, Buckbrush, or Trumpet Vine. Many Western Cherokee picked up round reed basketry due to lack of supply of Rivercane after the forced removal to Oklahoma.
I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to in regards to this post but I am a tribal member who is posting this and these were taken at our own museum within our own territory in Oklahoma. This information provided is provided by our knowledge keepers and elders.
I am one of these people you talk about being alive, sharing my culture 🙂
I strongly dislike how "some museums have unethical practices, and repatriation of stolen goods should be a high priority when applicable" has morphed into "all museums are evil, and museums are an unethical and untrustworthy source of information by nature."
