Basket Weaver

Native American baskets were one of the earliest art forms made by prehistoric Indians. They were made as utilitarian pieces for storage, holding water and even cooking. Basket making is an ancient craft. Basket making preceded pottery making, so baskets that were used for cooking were lined with clay, and water vessels were covered with pine pitch. Today basket making has developed into a fine art, that few Native Americans continue to practice. Where baskets were once a common item among all tribes, the art has now disappeared among many Native American tribes, and the handful of weavers that continue this ancient craft are few and far between.