- Home
- art
- history
- social science
- crafts & hobbies
- From the Hands of a Weaver
From the Hands of a Weaver
Olympic Peninsula Basketry through Time
Edited by Jacilee Wray
Foreword by Jonathan B. Jarvis
Published by: University of Oklahoma Press
Imprint: University of Oklahoma Press
264 Pages | 8 x 10 | 159 b&w illus., 3 figures, 1 map
$26.95
For millennia, Native artists on Olympic Peninsula, in what is now northwestern Washington, have created coiled and woven baskets using tree roots, bark, plant stems—and meticulous skill. From the Hands of a Weaver presents the traditional art of basket making among the peninsula’s Native peoples—particularly women—and describes the ancient, historic, and modern practices of the craft. Abundantly illustrated, this book also showcases the basketry collection of Olympic National Park.
Baskets designed primarily for carrying and storing food have been central to the daily life of the Klallam, Twana, Quinault, Quileute, Hoh, and Makah cultures of Olympic Peninsula for thousands of years. The authors of the essays collected here, who include Native people as well as academics, explore the commonalities among these cultures and discuss their distinct weaving styles and techniques. Because basketry was interwoven with indigenous knowledge and culture throughout history, alterations in the art over time reflect important social changes.
Using primary-source material as well as interviews, volume editor Jacilee Wray shows how Olympic Peninsula craftspeople participated in the development of the commercial basket industry, transforming useful but beautiful objects into creations appreciated as art. Other contributors address poaching of cedar and native grasses, and conservation efforts—contemporary challenges faced by basket makers. Appendices identify weavers and describe weaves attributed to each culture, making this an important reference for both scholars and collectors.
Featuring more than 120 photographs and line drawings of historical and twentieth-century weavers and their baskets, this engaging book highlights the culture of distinct Native Northwest peoples while giving voice to individual artists, masters of a living art form.
Baskets designed primarily for carrying and storing food have been central to the daily life of the Klallam, Twana, Quinault, Quileute, Hoh, and Makah cultures of Olympic Peninsula for thousands of years. The authors of the essays collected here, who include Native people as well as academics, explore the commonalities among these cultures and discuss their distinct weaving styles and techniques. Because basketry was interwoven with indigenous knowledge and culture throughout history, alterations in the art over time reflect important social changes.
Using primary-source material as well as interviews, volume editor Jacilee Wray shows how Olympic Peninsula craftspeople participated in the development of the commercial basket industry, transforming useful but beautiful objects into creations appreciated as art. Other contributors address poaching of cedar and native grasses, and conservation efforts—contemporary challenges faced by basket makers. Appendices identify weavers and describe weaves attributed to each culture, making this an important reference for both scholars and collectors.
Featuring more than 120 photographs and line drawings of historical and twentieth-century weavers and their baskets, this engaging book highlights the culture of distinct Native Northwest peoples while giving voice to individual artists, masters of a living art form.
Jacilee Wray, a former anthropologist with the National Park Service at Olympic Peninsula, Washington, is editor of Native Peoples of the Olympic Peninsula: Who We Are and co-editor of Postmistress, Mora, Wash. 1914–1915: Journal Entries and Photographs of Fannie Taylor.
Jonathan B. Jarvis is executive director of the Institute for Parks, People, and Diversity at the University of California, Berkeley, and former director of the National Park Service.
“Essential. For anyone interested in Native American arts or traditional lifeways.”—Choice
Forthcoming Events

Jane Little Botkin discusses her book, “The Girl Who Dared to Defy: Jane Street and the Rebel Maids of Denver”
Wednesday. May 18, 2022 | 12:00 pm
In-Person and Online Aurora History Museum 15051 East Alameda Parkway Aurora, CO 80012
Read more
Book Signing with Connie Cronley at Best of Books
Saturday. May 21, 2022 | 2:00 pm
Best of Books 1313 East Danforth Rd. Kickingbird Square Edmond, OK 73034
Read more
Jill Hunting in Conversation with Mike Everhart at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History
Thursday. June 16, 2022 | 6:00 pm
Sternberg Museum of Natural History 3000 Sternberg Dr. Hays, KS 67601
Read more
Meet Jill Hunting at Flint Hills Books
Saturday. June 18, 2022 | 1:30 pm
Flint Hills Books 130 W. Main Council Grove, Kansas 66846
Read more
Author Talk with Jill Hunting at Full Circle Books
Tuesday. June 21, 2022 | 6:00 pm
Full Circle Books 50 Penn Place 1900 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Read more