Sweetgrass basket

Another example of traditional art by the Akwesasne people. This is a basket woven from sweetgrass. It's part of the exhibit at Union College called North By Northeast. The poster reads:

Sweetgrass is a marsh grass cherished by basketmakers for its pliability, colour and wonderful smell. Either woven a couple of strands at a time or braided, it is the signature element of many Haudenosaunee and Wabanaki fancy baskets. Picked in the summer, the grass is cleaned, tied into bundles and hung in the shade to dry.

'In Mohawk and Haudenosaunee culture, sweetgrass is referred to as the 'Hair of Mother Earth.' Its sweet fragrance is appealing and endears us to our Mother Earth. We know we are not disconnected from her when we can smell her sweet hair.' -- Salli Benedict (Mohawk)