Interweaving of Generations: Great Basin Basketry

While much has changed since European people first interfered in the lives of Northern Native Americans, basketry has retained much of its original nature. As such, woven goods allow a material and artistic means of cultural and personal identity for many native peoples today as well as in the past. Traditionally basketry Arts are passed through a community of women, and thus makes them an excellent means for which to explore the generational connections of women in Great Basin tribes. Utilizing material culture to understand communities of women allows one to gain insight that can be hard to obtain through means other than community integration. This study may provide insight into day-to-to-day conversation topics, discord between generations, teaching methods, and the perpetuation, or lack thereof, of female expectations in their culture. By establishing the connection between material culture and perception of oneself and society this study will be able to look deeper into the aforementioned topics though additive basketry techniques, basketry standards, and figurative motifs. By mapping these structural and decorative elements over time, it will be possible to locate topics that were perpetrated between generations and when disconnects occurred. This exploration of Great Basin basketry focusing on motifs and structure will hopefully reveal the interweaving of generations of women practicing this art, at a new level