1st Gathering of Southeastern Indian Basketweavers
May 17 and 18, 2002
Northwestern State University,
Student Union Ballroom
The gathering was coordinated by Dr. Dayna Bowker Lee of the Louisiana Regional Folklife Program and Dr. H. F. Pete Gregory of the Department of Social Sciences and Williamson Museum. The gathering brought together weavers and tribal program administrators from throughout the Southeastern United States to talk about programs and projects that may benefit the preservation of traditional basketry in tribal communities. It also gave the artisans an opportunity to exchange ideas, to reconnect with old friends, and to make new ones. The gathering was sponsored by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the U. S. Forest Service. Assisting with the gathering were Stacy Fontenot, Projects Coordinator Department of Social Sciences, NSU; Rhonda Gauthier, Los Adaes Station/Regional Archaeology Program, NSU; Marque Nelson, Photographer and Webmaster for the Regional Folklife Program, NSU; Shawna Atkins, Intern for the Regional Folklife Program, NSU; and Josh Martin, NSU Anthropology Student, and Dustin Fuqua, Museum Aid for the Cane River Creole National Park.
Choctaw Eveline Steele signs in
Billy Cypress of the Florida Seminole Museum arrives
Linda Beletso and Lorraine Posada the Seminole Tribe
Odie Mae Anderson of the Mississippi Choctaw Tribe
Jena Choctaw Rose Fisher-Blassingame demonstrates Basketweaving
Lorraine Posada's daughter having fun
Stacy Fontenot and Rhonda Gauthier looking at baskets
Linda Beletso and granddaughter
Linda Beletso weaving baskets
Seminole Basketry
Linda Beletso with her daughter, Lorraine Posada with her daughter
Allen Bohnert, SE Regional Curator, NPS, looking at Choctaw Basketry
Guests discuss basket making
Rose Fisher, Tom Colvin, and Joyce Poncho discuss basketry
Mississippi Choctaw Basketry
Koasati Weavers Myrna Wilson, Joyce Poncho, Marjorie Battise, Lorena Langley
Pete Gregory talks about baskets with Allen Bohnert
Stacy, Dustin, Dayna Lee & Pete Gregory look at baskets
Seminole Baskets are very unique
Shawna Atkins looks at baskets
Dayna Lee and Pete Gregory with Patrick Dan of the Ms. Choctaw Culture Program
Billy Cypress with Eveline Steele
Marshall Gettys with others
Cherokee Peggy Brennan and Mark Brown of Lauren Rogers Museum
Pete Gregory gives some advice
Marshall's Choctaw Basket
Marshall exploring his basket
People checking out Marshall's Choctaw basket
Tom Colvin demonstrates Bayou LaCombe Choctaw basketry
Peggy Brennan, Marshall Gettys & Mary Herron of the Museum of the Red River
Scarlett Darden, John Paul Darden, Tom Colvin and Eveline Steele
Scarlett Darden making a Chitimacha basket
Lora Ann Chassion and Janie Luster and her daughter Ann Marie Luster demonstrate Houma half-hitch coil basketry
John Paul Darden, Scarlett Darden, Kimberly Walden and Melanie Aymond of the Chitimacha Tribe
Alan Dorian, U.S. Forest Service, purchases a Seminole basket
Scarlett Darden and John Paul Darden show Chitimacha basketry forms and designs
Charlie Viers, Lorena Langley, Dayna Lee, and Evelyn Alfaro with Koasati crafts
Allen Bohnert looks at Choctaw baskets
A great collection of Mississippi Choctaw baskets
More Choctaw baskets
Eveline Steele admires one of the Mississippi Choctaw baskets
Odie Mae Anderson continues to weave baskets
Houma basketweavers
Lorena Langely with her turkey baskets