Picking Willows by Pat Lindgren-Kurtz

Description

The Maidu basket makers of Lake Almanor. Hidden in the California mountains, two remarkable women carried an ancient art forward. In Picking Willows, Pat Lindgren-Kurtz tells the true story of Daisy and Lilly Baker — sisters who kept their Native American identity alive through extraordinary basket craftsmanship, gathering willow with the seasons and weaving intricate patterns rich with meaning.

Against the sweeping history of the region — the Gold Rush, the railroads, the changes that threatened to erase Native traditions — the Baker sisters sustained not just a livelihood but a culture. Drawing on family memories, local history, and the baskets themselves, Lindgren-Kurtz reveals how craft became an act of cultural survival. Through their basket weaving — gathering willow with the seasons, dyeing fibers, weaving intricate patterns rich with meaning — the sisters sustained not just a livelihood but a culture.

For anyone interested in Native American history, California heritage, or traditional crafts: a moving portrait of skill, devotion, and the quiet power of keeping old ways alive.

The Maidu basket makers of Lake Almanor

Hidden in the mountains around Lake Almanor, California, two remarkable women carried forward an ancient art. In Picking Willows, Pat Lindgren-Kurtz tells the true story of Daisy and Lilly Baker — Maidu basket makers who kept their Native American identity alive through extraordinary craftsmanship.

Lindgren-Kurtz traces the sisters’ lives against the sweeping history of the region: the Gold Rush, the coming of the railroads, and the changes that threatened to erase Native traditions. Through their basket weaving — gathering willow with the seasons, dyeing fibers, and weaving intricate patterns rich with meaning — the Baker sisters sustained not just a livelihood but a culture.

Drawing on family memories, local history, and the baskets themselves, this book reveals how craft became an act of cultural survival. Readers will discover the gathering seasons, the symbolism woven into each pattern, and the resilience of two women who turned artistry into legacy.

For anyone interested in Native American history, California heritage, or traditional crafts, Picking Willows offers a moving portrait of skill, devotion, and the quiet power of keeping old ways alive.