Courtesy Photo provided by Alpena County Library
Edith Bondie constructs a basket in the spring of 1964.
ALPENA — To celebrate Native American Heritage Month in November, Alpena County Library is offering a micro-exhibit all month and a program on Nov. 16.
The micro-exhibit, called “Edith Bondie: Basketmaker,” will be on display on the first floor now through Dec. 1 at the library, 211 N. 1st Ave.
This exhibit features a series of rare photographs captured by The Alpena News during the spring of 1964, showcasing Bondie’s process of harvesting and weaving her famed black ash baskets. Basket weaving is a culturally significant practice, passed down between family members of indigenous heritage. Bondie, a Chippewa woman, learned the craft from her mother and honed her skills by playing with leftover wood scraps as a child. Her celebrated works have earned her worldwide recognition, with examples of her baskets showcased at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
For more information about this micro-exhibit, call 989-356-6188, ext 17. This exhibit is presented by the George R. and Edith Angell Cook Special Collections.
On Thursday, Nov. 16, the library will host a program called Colonization and Indigenous Culture from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The library is proud to host the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways to discuss the legacy of colonialism’s impact on Anishinabe culture and lives. With the colonization of the Americas by European powers there came many consequences that still affect American Indian communities today. Changes in diet and lifestyle, the introduction of new diseases, and other extreme changes for American Indian people altered indigenous communities and they are still dealing with these effects in contemporary society.
This presentation is free and open to the public. For more information about the Ziibiwing Center, visit sagchip.org/ziibiwing/.
