@CultureDesk This teeny-weeny basket by Melanie Crow measures about an inch and a half high and is woven of oak. Can you imagine the finger dexterity required to make such a thing?
The story of rivercane is the story of human change wrought on the environment and of persistence in the face of cultural devastation. Burnaway's story is well worth reading.
https://burnaway.org/magazine/recovering-rivercane/
We have several rivercane Cherokee baskets in our collection (as well as baskets made of oak and maple -- more modern substitutes), including this beauty that dates from the mid-to-late 19th century.
Siera Hyte writes for @hyperallergic about the ways in which Cherokee weaving techniques are passed from one generation to another, just as often through studying objects as through learning explicitly from teachers.
https://hyperallergic.com/820400/cherokee-craftspeople-are-stronger-together/
We have a number of Cherokee weavings in our collection, including this burden basket made by Agnes Lossie Welch. You can see a bunch more in our collections database: https://emuseum.georgiamuseum.org/search/basket
Georgia Museum of Art
