The Art And The Romance Of Indian Basketry

"The Art and the Romance of Indian Basketry" by Clark Field. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

"An unusually detailed, useful and attractive guide for collectors and students." -L.A. Times.

This book describes the elements that make these baskets works of art. For hundreds of years Indian weavers throughout North America have created baskets that are stunning works of art as well as utilitarian objects used for collecting, carrying and a variety of other activities. This concise, readable book describes the elements that make these baskets words of art. The careful preparation of roots and grasses, the painstaking stitching of coils, the subtle use of vegetable dyes, and the skillful integration of design and background are all described in this book.

A collection of essays consider the selling of American Indian culture and how it affects the Native community, showing how appropriation of American Indian cultures have been persistent practices of American society over the last century, constituting a form of cultural imperialism that could contribute to the destruction of American Indian culture and identity.

Cherokee women wielded significant power, and history demonstrates that in what is now America, indigenous women often bore the greater workload, both inside and outside the home. During the French and Indian War, Cherokee women resisted a chief's authority, owned family households, were skilled artisans, produced plentiful crops, mastered trade negotiations, and prepared chiefs' feasts. Cherokee culture was lost when the Cherokee Nation began imitating the American form of governance to gain political favor, and white colonists reduced indigenous women's power. This book recounts long-standing Cherokee traditions and their rich histories. It demonstrates Cherokee and indigenous women as independent and strong individuals through feminist and historical perspectives. Readers will find that these women were far ahead of their time and held their own in many remarkable ways.

The forced relocation of fifteen thousand Cherokee to Oklahoma nearly two centuries ago left them in a foreign landscape. Coping with loss and new economic challenges, the Cherokee united under a new constitution and exploited the Victorian affinity for decorative crafts. Cherokee women had always created patterned baskets for everyday use and trade, and soon their practical work became lucrative items of beauty. Adapting the tradition to the new land, the industrious weavers transformed Oklahoma's vast natural resources into art that aided their survival. The Civil War found the Cherokee again in jeopardy, but resilient, they persevered and still thrive today. Author and Cherokee citizen Karen Coody Cooper presents the story of this beautiful legacy.