Description

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Great Grandmother, Kaya, a revered Skokomish basket maker, is teaching Josephine, 15, and her brother Ralph, 10, how to make baskets twined with the leaves of the cattail plant. Kaya learned when she was very young, just like the others who lived for thousands of years in the Southern Coast Salish region of Western Washington State. Now she passes the knowledge on, showing Josephine and Ralph how to collect and process the cattails, and even where to dig for the dying materials. But Kaya has more in store for them, as they become entwined in the traditional ways of life.

About the Author

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Nan McNutt, an American of British ancestry, grew up on the island of Pohnpei in Micronesia. Her introduction to Native American people and culture was at the University of Washington, where she received her Masters in Education (1979). Nan has developed instructional materials for Native American communities and schools and leads workshops for teachers in partnership with educators and artists.