About The Artist
Basket maker Ann Iohawinon Mitchell comes from a long line of Mohawk/Onkwehonwe basket makers and grew up in Akwesasne surrounded by the smell of sweetgrass and splint at home. She was taught the traditional weaving techniques by her mother, Laura, when she was 21. Over the years she developed her own unique style that she became known for and has since had her work featured in magazines, documenataries, museums and many private collections. She started her basket business Dream Weaver Basketry in 2012 and has been dedicated to her craft since.
The Materials
There are 2 main materials used in traditional Mohawk basketry and many tools that we use as well.
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Black Ash Splint
The main material in basket making is a wood that comes from a black ash tree. The trees are carefully selected to make sure they're straight and suitable for basketry before being soaked and then pounded with the back of an axe or a mallet. The black ash strips that come off are called "splint". The strips of splint are used or rolled into bundles for storage and saved for later use.
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Sweetgrass
Another common material used in Mohawk basket making is sweetgrass. The sweetgrass is harvested in the summer during peak season and hung to dry for storage. It's very long, shiny and stands out among the rest of the plants. It can be woven into baskets as is or braided and used for embellishments. Sweetgrass is also a medicine for us so it is greatly respected and it's important for us to have a tobacco offering and some words before starting the picking season.
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Tools
Various tools help us prepare the materials and assist in the weaving process. A "splitter" is the tool we use to peel the strips of splint to get thinner pieces. The tools with the handles are called cutters/gauges and they're used to pull strips through to get different widths. We use molds/forms to keep a uniform shapes and sizes for different types of baskets. Knives and scissors are also commonly used in the process.