Collections Spotlight with Kelly Church

During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and through the reopening afterward, the Coe Center partnered with First American Art Magazine to present an interactive Zoom series in which Native artists discussed artworks in the Coe Collections. Collections Spotlight brought deep dives into objects from the Coe collection to the public from the artist’s perspective. These events were free and open to the public.

Kelly Church is a member of the Gun Lake Band in Michigan, and a Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Ojibwe descendant. She comes from an unbroken line of Black ash basket makers, and from the largest black ash weaving family in the Great Lakes. 
She is an artist and activist and shares her knowledge of working with black ash trees as well as educating the public on the effects of the Emerald Ash Borer on cultural traditions.

Beginning discussion:

Church discusses how the materials for making an ash basket are collected from the woods. This process begins with finding the appropriate type of tree. Black ash trees with straight bark and growth rings of the correct size are used. These trees grow in swamps, and you need strong people to be able to carry the tree out. Each log is 6-8ft in length. The back side of an axe is used to pound the tree and release the rings. Black ash is indigenous to the area and is a culturally important tree. The ash tree is unique in how the growth rings can be released and split. There are two parts of a log, heartwood and spring wood. Each growth ring is split and then is ready to use for basket making.

Church uses this basket to discuss making “curly Q’s,” the first of three common embellishments she highlighted using baskets from the collection. This embellishment is created by making a circle and then pulling the fiber tightly, reinforcing the basket, giving it strength, and stiffening it. The basket is made with black ash, and Church describes the plaiting process used to create it.

Church uses this basket as an example of “points”, the second of three common embellishments she highlighted. Church discusses how to create the points by flipping the ash splint and emphasizes that embellishments add strength to the basket after it is made. Church notes that rectangular baskets have a plaited flat bottoms.

Church recalls a similar wall hanging in her grandmother’s home, and mentions that baskets of this type were often used by people to hold mail.

Small woven basket with ‘loops’, the third of three common embellishments for black ash baskets. She says loops can be used to develop other designs. She says the handles are simply decorative, considering their size.

Church notes that often this size of baskets can be made from scraps from large basket weaving. Nowadays, baskets like this would likely be used to hold jewelry.

Church notes the twill plaiting technique and weaves all around the basket. The twill design is created by going over two and under two. This pattern extends to the lid also. She notes the basket is a hamper for larger uses and describes how its construction creates its strength and size. The round bottom is a double weave, which is created by laying all the splints down, going over with splint string, and then adding more splints on top.

Church discusses another common pattern created using black ash, an embellishment similar to the point, which she calls a diamond pattern. She highlights how versatile the ash is. She also notes plaiting elements and the variation of colors. The bottom of the basket is not layered twice but is made with thicker splints, which provide a similar strength.

The inside of the lid shows the original colors of the dyes, Church notes that the dyes will “always, always” fade on the exterior, but usually remain vibrant in the interior of baskets.

Church calls this a market basket, she notes that these baskets were also possibly used as baby carriers, noting the sturdy, solid wood handles in loops on the basket. The blue-dyed designs are created similarly to making the loop. The handles are black ash which was carved. Carved black ash wood was also typically used for snowshoes and other needed objects.

There was also an audience question about what growth rings are. Church replied that when each splint is growth ring layer, and that when you look at the end of a log you can see each growth ring as a concentric circle.

Church notes the endangerment of black ash trees in Michigan due to the emerald ash borer. She notes efforts to preserve them and teach about their importance. The emerald ash borer can kill a stand of ash trees before they can reseed themselves, which is why seeds are a highly important resource in preserving the trees. She also discusses the importance of recording traditional cultural knowledge about harvesting the trees, in case there is a missed generation of ash harvesters.

Church states that these are made out of summer bark. She describes them as being used for beadwork or quillwork patterns. The case also includes examples of birch bark biting, and she describes the process of biting these patterns with teeth. They are created by folding a piece of birch bark two to three times and creating a pattern by biting with your eyetooth.

Church notes the birch bark biting pattern and an intentional design made by folding the bark over three or so times and making a pattern. Church sees images of bees in this biting.

Church also shows the color differences of bark with samples and discusses how it can note the season (summer or winter bark). The summer bark is lighter, and she notes it can be easily harvested and sometimes begins to come off trees or “pop”. The bark should not be forced or pulled off the tree. If harvested properly removing the bark does not hurt the tree.

Church also demonstrates her own example of making a birch bite pattern on birchbark. She then discusses some other artists creating birchbark bitings including Denise Lajimodiere, Pat Bruderer, and Angelique Merasty. Church also talks about the importance of birchbark more generally, including its use in making canoes.

Church describes the process of making this type of bag.

Basswood bark is harvested during the head of the summer. The outer and inner bark are separated to be processed by leaving it in a stream, which allows the bacteria to eat the sugars and starches of the bark. This process is called retting.

Without proper cleaning, cordage made from basswood can easily start to smell even when dried and used to create a bag. When the retting process needs to be done quickly instead of the traditional 4-6 weeks, it is done by boiling the bark.

Two examples of processed bark are shown: one of boiled bark and one of stream-retted bark. Church mentions that both types of bark are equally strong but that they have a color difference. Church then demonstrates how cordage is made from the processed bark by using a piece she started. Church notes that the elders of communities make cordage using their thighs, while her method uses her fingers. One continuous piece of cordage is used for the entire bag. This type of bag is woven upside down over a piece of stick at the base.

The next three objects are all birchbark boxes with quill designs, highlighting the variety of objects that can be created from birchbark. On this container specifically, Church notes the brown natural quill color on the top edge of the lid, but mentions that quills can also be dyed, like those that are used in the bird’s design. Church describes the feeling of the birchbark interior as similar to leather. An awl is used to make the holes then pull the quills through the bark. She discusses that some people use an etching to follow a design while others free-hand. She mentions that this type of box is decorative and was likely made to sell to tourists.

This is another quilled and lidded birchbark container. The creator used a different bark texture for the sides, a birch bark base, and sweet grass on the sides. On the interior of the lid, she notes that another layer of birch bark is attached to the bottom, which covers the ends of the top quill design.

The imagery is an underwater panther which is a water spirit of the Great Lakes. Church talks about the design and discusses other ways that underwater panther is depicted, such as the variations in tails, as seen in rock art.

The inside of the basket has a birch bark envelope with an address, postage stamp, and a birch bark letter inside. Church mentions that the creator likely used glue to hold the envelope’s folds over.

This box has an all-natural quill flower design on the top and a diagonal pattern with natural quills (instead of dyed quills) on the side. The inside of the box has another layer of birch bark to cover the back of the quill design. She notes a slightly raised texture and design of the basket.

Church says this container could be used for a number of things, including to hold common house items, and likens it to a catchall. She notes the sewn basswood, which were cut out individually. There is quilled decor and another layer of bark to cover the quill ends.

Church chose this object to highlight the role of imagination in creating baskets and birchbark containers. It is a child’s toy that looks like a gingerbread house. The roof flap opens for use. Kelly says this was likely made to sell.