Meet the Indians Behind the Indian Legends

By Lois Beardslee
Sun contributor
Some of Leelanau County’s finest traditional basket-makers, quill-workers, artists and authors will be demonstrating and selling their products at the Native American Art Market on Saturday, August 7 at the Grand Traverse Heritage Center in Traverse City, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The group, which normally meets the third Saturday of every month, has made an exception this month due to the August 20-22 Pow Wow in Peshawbestown. The Heritage Center is located on 6th Street in the historic old Traverse City Library building. From downtown T.C., take Union Street south to Sixth St. It’s the first building on the right along the river, adjacent to the park. You may phone the center at 995-0313. There is currently an exhibit of Anishnabe, or Woodland Indian, culture in the upstairs gallery.

Some of the art forms we do are so rare that there have in recent decades been only one or two of us alive still doing them. For example, I was once one of only two people still making birch bark bitings, an art form in which we peel the bark thinner than typing paper, fold it, and create symmetrical images by bruising the bark with an eye tooth. Oddly, one favors either the right tooth or the left — depending upon one’s handedness — and the other artist had his dominant eyetooth pulled. (I’m not kidding!) Suddenly, I found myself the last living soul I knew of still creating an art form that dates back thousands of years. Aware of my own mortality, I began frantically dragging other Indians out into the woods. “I don’t want the responsibility,” I claimed, “I could get hit by a bus tomorrow.” Granted, we don’t have many busses in Leelanau County, but my point regarding the rarity and fragility of what we do remains intact.
Those of us who still make baskets have watched our predecessors pass away and have seen few people replace them. Part of this is simply because of the profoundly labor intensive nature of the work. For every hour put into making each basket, we spend at least an hour gathering and processing the materials. Sweetgrass, the strong, fragrant, rare grass that most of us use, must be picked one blade at a time, with two hands. We keep its locations secret and we respectfully ask that you refrain from asking us where to find it or to sell it to you. It is a precious resource, and a tremendous amount of responsibility goes along with knowing its secrets.
At the art market, you’ll find a nice selection of baskets, by Cindy John, Helen Raphael, me and others. Helen is an incredible black ash basket-maker, and just getting a peek at her full-sized baby bassinette with its dreamcatcher air vent is worth the trip. Potawatomi craftsman Hal Wiggins is usually present, with his beautiful hand-carved knives, pouches, and other unique bone and antler items. Alvina Marshall has gorgeous dreamcatchers and lots of other small items that are affordable for children as well as adults. Margaret David does exquisite beadwork in an old style that is well-respected by Native people. The selection is wonderful and includes prints, paintings, sculptures, cards, jewelry, beadwork, books, tapes, and purses. Some of us have items that are not for sale but merely for display. These include some rare quill baskets and a traditional backpack made of cedar bark fiber and porcupine fur cordage.
We’re never quite sure who will join us from month to month. Last time, Odawa author Simon Otto joined us and was signing books. Sometimes artists visit from as far away as Lansing or Sault Ste. Marie. When we’re lucky, Lyle James drops by with his paintings and prints. Even our children make and sell items, as we use this as an opportunity to teach them traditional skills as well as new ones.
Whether you are a resident or a visitor, we encourage you to visit us on August 7. It’s a chance to talk with us, see us interacting with our children (“if you hit me with that skunk pelt one more time, you’re grounded for life!”), and dispel any sense of otherness that you may have, if you’ve not grown up in close proximity to Native people. We love interacting with our neighbors, seeing old friends, and explaining the hows and whys of traditional arts. They are at the heart of our people.