Weaving Together

As the year drew to a close, we had the great pleasure of meeting with Aliyah Myers and Colton James, two basket makers from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, as well as Tom Delaney, a weaver and artist from Mayo, Ireland. Being in conversation with these three makers afforded us some great insights into the specific and distinct aspects of Choctaw and Irish basket making: river cane versus willow, dyeing cane versus removing bark, uses of baskets, ecological and environmental nuances, and so on.

Unsurprisingly, our discussion also found us exploring the countless elements that Choctaw and Irish basketmaking shares, including: the connection to ancestral traditions and heritage through the act of making baskets; the deep appreciation of landscape and place; the weaving together of stories when makers and communities come together; the power of teaching one another; and the renewed – and sustained – interest that is being shown in arts and crafts (especially since the pandemic).

Our thanks and appreciation to Aliyah, Colton, and Tom for not only discussing their techniques as craftspeople and the cultural contexts in which their baskets are made, but also the various tools and materials that they work with.

These three brilliant artists allowed us to record our discussion, and we are not sharing that here. We are very sure that you will enjoy hearing from them every bit as much as we did!