Weaving Baskets
Weaving baleen baskets is a rare skill. Very few people know how to do it.
Lee Harris, Inupiat Eskimo has a skill that is very rare. Lee weaves baleen baskets. He didn’t start out to be a basket weaver. A skilled carver, he was invited to carve the ivory top and bottom circle for baleen basket weavers in Point Hope, Alaska. After a few years, he decided that he could learn the skill himself and began watching the baleen artisans. After about two years of watching and weaving, he felt comfortable enough to create his own. Today he weaves baleen baskets as a hobby or by special order.
Baleen is attached to the two ivory discs.
The central disc of the top lid is carved. Lee chooses local animals to decorate his lids. The bottom ivory disc that holds the baleen weave and waft is generally a round smooth circle. There are holes that need be drilled in both the top and the bottom discs. This is where the baleen is attached and is the base for the weave.
Lee is able to get bowhead baleen from a person in his village. He has to cut and shape the baleen to a particular width for his use. He attaches the baleen securely to the carved ivory discs, and bit by bit, turn by turn he begins the task of weaving his basket.
Whale Team
Lee is able to get bowhead baleen from a person in his village.
There are traditional weaving styles. That is the style that Lee uses. It is strong and long lasting and beautiful. Lee is able to concentrate on his project and explains to us how it is done. I watch him create a beautiful piece of art from walrus tusk discs and strings of baleen. It is amazing.
Lee Explains
Lee holds a secret known to very few people.
Lee holds a secret that is known to very few people, baleen basketry. Ivory carving, basket weaving, and other folk art reflect the history and culture of the Inupiat Eskimo. In many Native cultures, these treasured skills pass from one generation to another the way it always has...by watching.
Daughter Dance
Elizabeth Harris loves to dance at the whale festival. Celebrations are held in the
spring to celebrate the bounty from the sea.
If you have more questions about baleen baskets or would like to e-mail Lee, he can be reached at slfharris [at] hotmail.com