Field Museum

This is the basket Kelly Church made at the Field Museum opening of the Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories exhibition. Look at the basket closely. Observe its parts and patterns. 

Kelly Church: 360 Degree Community Basket

Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories was created with the guidance of an advisory council of 11 Native American scholars and museum professionals, and in partnership with 130 collaborators representing over 105 Tribes. We seek to create a space for Native people from Chicago and across the United States and Canada to share their experiences in their own voices.

Field Museum staff with the help of videographer Jay Young, interviewed artist Lorene Sisquoc and Kelly Church.

Lorene is the Curator of the Sherman Indian Museum, has taught basket-making and Native Plant uses and Material Culture/Traditions at the Sherman Indian High School and throughout Southern California for many years. She is a descendant of the Mountain Cahuilla and a member of the Fort Sill Apache tribe. 

Kelly is A Pottawatomi/Ottawa/Ojibwe Black Ash basketry Artist, Activist, Educator, and Culture Keeper.

Lorene Sisquoc & Kelly Church: Basket Making Discussion and Demonstration

Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories was created with the guidance of an advisory council of 11 Native American scholars and museum professionals, and in partnership with 130 collaborators representing over 105 Tribes. We seek to create a space for Native people from Chicago and across the United States and Canada to share their experiences in their own voices.

Field Museum staff with the help of videographer Jay Young, interviewed artist Lorene Sisquoc, the Curator of the Sherman Indian Museum,  basket-making and Native Plant uses and Material Culture/Traditions educator at the Sherman Indian High School and throughout Southern California. She is a descendant of the Mountain Cahuilla and a member of the Fort Sill Apache tribe.  Watch to Lorene create a basket with visitors to the Field Museum.

Lorene Sisquoc: California Basket Stories - Basket Making Demonstration

Learn about Lorene Sisquoc and her community's basket weaving tradition. 

This is a 360 degree image of a basket Lorene made at the Field Museum in Chicago. Visitors coming to the museum helped her make the basket. She taught each person how to add a line to the basket.


Lorene Sisquoc: California Basket Story Lesson Plan

Native Truths: Lorene Sisquoc: California Basket Story

Civics and Government

Social Studies

U.S. History

K-8 Mathematics

Mathematics

Visual Arts

The Arts

Why do you think it is important for Lorene to teach others how to make baskets?

What patterns do you notice she is making?

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Object Library

Museums

Native Truths: Lorene Sisquoc: California Basket Story

Kelly Church: 360 Degree Community Basket

360 Degree Basket