Nottawaseppi Huron band of the Potawatomi, Unknown Artist, Nickole Keith, and Chris Wilson
Blood Memory: Past, Present, and Future
4” x 5”; 3.25” x 7”; 4.5” x 10” (hxw)
Black ash baskets
Late 1800s, 2025, and 2012

Blood Memory: Past, Present, and Future is a collection of three black ash tree handwoven baskets with varying sizes. The first basket is an older piece, created by Nottawaseppi Huron band of the Potawatomi Unknown Artist in the late 1800s, is a 4”x5” mainly tan colored cylindrical shaped basket decorated with naturally dyed  blue and red stripes woven between tan strips. The basket features a thicker middle portion with two lines of blue triangles pointed to each other filling in the spaces between the adjacent triangle. There are two bands of red accents above and below the middle strip. This basket  represents the Past–“What We Lost.” The basket tells a story of absence — the loss of black ash trees to climate change and invasive species. It carries the memory of what once was: strength, tradition, and the living connection between people and the land. The second basket, woven by Nickole Keith in 2025,  is a small 4” x 5” round light-tan colored, modern dyed, woven basket, arranged in a tight, woven pattern. The rim of the basket has an interesting decorative looped edge with bent segments sticking out around the edge. It represents the Present–“Taking back what was lost.” Through her work, she reclaims the practice and spirit of basketmaking–restoring not only the craft, but the relationship between people and nature. This basket stands for resilience, revival, and the healing that comes from creating with purpose. The third basket in the set was created by Nickole Keith’s son, Chris Wilson in 2012. The basket is a larger 4.5” x 10” darker brown piece with a wide opening at the top. The upper rim and bottom edge are decorated with pointed, looped elements giving it a textured, multilayered feel. The basket also contains some dyed black strips contributing to the elaborate pattern of the piece. This final basket represents the Future–“What Will Be Restored”. Keith’s son carries the basketweaving tradition forward. His basket symbolizes hope–a future where our generations continue to restore, create, and honor what was lost. Through his hands, the story continues, woven with care and promise.