Traditional Choctaw Basketry

One of the most interesting traditional basket designs I have ever encountered is the pointed-bottom wall pouch that is historically associated with the Choctaw tribes of the southeastern United States. Today there are three nations of Choctaw Native Americans, living in Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Mississippi. These tribes have a rich history of basket-weaving, and several distinct styles of Choctaw baskets exist. 

Traditional Choctaw baskets were (and still are) woven from river cane, which is harvested and then processed into strands of cane fibers. These fibers were sometimes dyed in shades of black/brown, red, and yellow, originally using plant-based dyes and pastes from species native to the Southeast, such as black walnut, red oak, and black gum trees. Today most Choctaw baskets are made using commercial dyes, which I also use to dye the reed for my baskets (to find out more about my dying process, check out the tutorial I posted recently). 

Large Wall Pouch (front)

Large Wall Pouch (back)

                                               

I found a pattern for the type of basket known as taposhake chufa (“pointed basket”) in the Choctaw language, and decided to make a few in different sizes and colors. I especially love how the larger one turned out (images above). It’s such an eye-catching shape, and because of the weaving method, the colored reed runs horizontally on one side and vertically on the other in the lower part of the basket. Knowing that this style of basket has a long and interesting history makes it even more exciting, and I hope to make more like it in the future!

"Pointed" basket (from ChoctawNationCulture)

Other styles of Choctaw baskets include pack baskets, “elbow” baskets (named for their shape), and lidded baskets. One of the ways to distinguish Choctaw baskets from other river cane baskets is by their distinctive wrapped rim and handles, which you can see on some of the baskets shown here. Another distinctive feature of Choctaw basket design is that many baskets are double-walled, with different designs visible on the inner and outer walls, and all of the Choctaw baskets that I've seen are plaited (plaiting is a weaving method where the horizontal and vertical elements are spaced evenly). 

Elbow basket (from AccessGenealogy)

For more information on Choctaw history and culture, especially the tribes’ rich basket-weaving traditions, see Culture and Customs of the Choctaw Indians, by Donna Akers (2013), as well as the websites listed below.

http://www.choctawnation.com/culture-heritage/

http://www.choctawschool.com/choctaw-baskets/

http://www.choctawnationculture.com/choctaw-culture/early-choctaw-traditional-arts/