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Gerald
Barnes takes great pride in continuing the tradition of
Passamaquoddy basketry. "We believe our spirit and the spirit
of our ancestors go into every one of our creations. I am
in the shadow of my mother and my aunts, master basketweavers,
known for their unique style of basketmaking," says Gerald.
His first memory of weaving baskets is as a nine-year-old
helping his mother, father, sisters and brothers make "scale"
baskets which were large and sturdy, woven to carry a heavy
load.. "Father did the hard work of preparing the ash and
ribs. Mother did most of the weaving, with my sisters, brothers
and I helping with whatever we could."
These
baskets start out square at the bottom and end up round at
the top. The Passamaquoddy made these utilitarian baskets
for food gathering, fishing and storage long before contact
with the outside world. Until the 1960s, scale baskets were
in high demand by the local fish processing plants in Maine.
Today, potato farmers use a similar basket. In the 1800s,
basketmakers began selling their baskets to tourists visiting
Maine in the summers.
"Each
of my baskets represent the tradition handed down through
generations," says Gerald. In addition to his parents, Max
and Angela Barnes, Gerald credits his Aunt Clara Keezer for
helping him. Clara was recently awarded a National Heritage
Fellowship Award from the National Endowment from the Arts
for her basketry.
| "Patience
is a virtue necessary for basketry," says Gerald. He uses
brown ash and sweetgrass to make his baskets. He weaves
a variety of shapes, including a miniature of the traditional
scale baskets. He has become known for his acorn and turtle
baskets. I wanted to carve my own niche as a basketweaver.
So, I use the natural colors rather than dyes like my
mother and aunt. I also chose a turtle as my symbol and
have developed at least seven different sizes and shapes
of turtle baskets." |
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"Turtles
are very important to our People. They represent longevity
because they live long lives. They represent sustenance because
they are a food source. But, most importantly, turtles show
how well we are taking care of the environment. Polluted food
and water easily affect turtles. When I make a turtle basket,
I make it imperfect. Sometimes you'll have to look hard to
see the imperfection, but I want people not only to appreciate
the beauty of the basket, but also to understand the imperfection
of my turtle. My hope is that the basket will inspire each
person to take some action to protect the environment."
"Preparation
of materials is often more time-consuming than the creation
itself," says Gerald. He uses tools that were passed down
from his father, who received them from other family members.
He has taught his three children to weave and is always willing
to share his gifts with the community. He has lectured and
demonstrated for elementary schools, community colleges, museums
and art fairs, including the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, and
the Smithsonian Institution's Renwick Gallery and exhibited
work in the Smithsonian's "Stories of the People."
The Indian Craft Shop represents artists from over 40
tribal areas within the United States. Located in the Department
of the Interior federal building at 18th and C Streets, the
Shop is open Monday thru Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed federal holidays. Open the third Saturday of each month
from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Photo ID required for entrance.
For more information, call 202-208-4056.
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