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Gloria Raymond learned basket weaving by watching her mother, Alice Raymond, weave traditional Tohono O'odham baskets during her childhood. At age 7, Gloria made her first split-stitch basket. Since then she has harvested, cleaned and soaked enough wild bear grass, yucca, devil's claw, banana yucca and willow to make hundreds of baskets. "The squash blossom basket is difficult," she says. "It's used in our traditional basket dance. The maze pattern uses lots of devils claw, which is needed for the black pattern. I have to soak the devil's claw for a week. But the willow baskets are the hardest. You have to keep everything soaked constantly." Gloria offers classes at the Curley School and generously shares her skills with anyone interested in learning her art. "It takes a lifetime to master basket weaving, but I can teach you a split-stitch basket in a few lessons." |
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