Edith Bondie

Edith Bondie is a Chippewa Indian who grew up in the lumber camps of northern Michigan. Her mother was a basketmaker who often gave Edith scrap materials to play with while she worked. Bondie uses black ash, which she cuts from trees in a swamp near her home. She peels off the bark, cuts the wood into strips, then weaves these into baskets using only a knife and a pair of scissors. One basket can take up to six weeks to complete, and Bondie rarely makes more than fifteen in a year.