One of the oldest creative endeavors still practiced today is the art of weaving baskets. Although the utilitarian aspects of basketry for everyday use have been almost entirely supplanted by modern conveniences, the ceremonial use of baskets persists in many communities. The need for ceremonial items and the recognition of basketry as an art form have helped this exquisite form of creative art to survive. American Indian basketry relies on local materials that are gathered by the basket maker and techniques that have remained unchanged from prehistory to the present day. Many southwestern baskets are made with yucca leaves and various grasses, while baskets from other parts of the country are woven from different woods which have been split into very thin strips. At The Indian Craft Shop we carry basketry from several different southwestern groups including the Tohono OíOdham (or Papago), Apache, Navajo, and Hopi. From basket makers in other parts of the country we have Cherokee (both Eastern and Western), Ojibwa, Chippewa, Mohawk, Passamoquaddy, and Seminole work. Trays, jars, plaques, sewing baskets, fruit baskets, miniatures, and burden baskets are among the basketry forms that we regularly have in stock.