emerald ash borer

Emerald Ash Borer Black Ash Basketry Symposium, April 6th

Kate Fort

Here is the information on the Black Ash Symposium which will be held April 6th at the Comfort Inn Conference Center in Plainwell, MI.  The registration materials are here and schedule is here.

This Conference will bring together Native Nations from the North Eastern US and Canada to discuss what is happening in their communities and what we can do to work together to sustain the tradition of Black ash basketry for all of our people for centuries to come.

Black ash basket weavers from Native communities in Michigan, Maine, Minnesota, New York and Canada will present important information and share what work their communities have been doing to prepare for EAB, and preserve basketry in their communities. Working together we can make a difference!

Black Ash Basketry Conference — May 16, 2008

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From Kelly Church:

Emerald Ash Borer/ Black Ash Basketry Conference 2008

Since the discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer(EAB) in 2002, Michigan has lost over 20 million ash trees, and the numbers continue to rise. The entire lower peninsula of Michigan is under a “no ash movement” quarantine, and the EAB continues to spread and infect entire ash lots, eventually killing off once healthy, thriving ash trees.

For hundreds of years Native Americans of Michigan (Anishnabe) and Natives from all over the North Eastern United States have been using Black Ash trees for basketweaving. These baskets have been used for centuries for utilitarian purposes such as Market baskets, berry picking baskets, fishing creels, baby baskets, laundry baskets, and sewing baskets. Today they are still used in a variety of ways, and are also collectible baskets as pieces of art.

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