Creator Record
Metadata
Name |
Sickles, Katie |
Notes |
Katie Sickles Oneida Nation Bear Clan (1920 - 2019) Katie Sickles grew up on the Oneida Reserve near Southwold, Ontario. Throughout her youth, Oneida was the primary language spoken in her household. At the age of 12, she was introduced to basketmaking by her mother Lissie Summers. Like many women from Oneidatown in the early 20th Century, Lissie marketed her baskets door to door in nearby towns and cities. Katie's basketmaking lessons consisted, as was the convention, of close observation more than direct instruction. As an adult, Katie put basketmaking aside and worked at planting and harvesting tobacco in southern Ontario. When she reached her 60's she returned to the art, fueled by its economic potential at a time when money was scarce. In the years that followed, Katie established herself as one of the premier Haudenosaunee basketmakers of her generation. Katie's baskets are primarily constructed with black ash splints, although sometimes she incorporates a little sweetgrass, or in the case of her picnic baskets, uses maple or hickory for the handles. Her baskets feature tight even weaves and brightly-dyed splint accents. The most distinctive element of her baskets is a rim design that Katie learned from her mother. Her baskets often feature this continuous arcing decorative element, reminiscent of the sky dome pattern found in beadwork. Brightly colored dyed splints were also one of her trademark flourishes. Katie produced a variety of different basket forms including knitting and strawberry baskets, pencil holder baskets, sweetener baskets, and more. But it was her interpretation of the fancy basket form that secured her the reputation of being one of the premier Haudenosaunee basketmakers of her generation. Katie continued to make baskets into her eighty's and passed away at the age of 99. *Bio text cannot be used in print or web publications without IIM permission. Use for other purposes (such as research papers, presentations) should credit the IIM. |
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