Museum hosts free screening of Black Ash Basketry Documentary

The North Berrien Historical Museum welcomes the public to attend a free screening of the documentary film Black Ash Basketry: A Story of Cultural Resilience (Length: 60 minutes) on Tuesday, January 15 at 7:00pm.  The film was produced by the Grand Rapids-based Great Lakes Lifeways Institute in 2010.  Click this link to Watch the Film Trailer.

The art of making baskets from the Black Ash tree has been practiced by countless generations of Michigan’s Native Americans.  As an art form, it is part of the daily lives of Anishinabe basket makers Steve Pigeon and his extended family.  For the Pigeons and many other Great Lakes Indian families, basketry is and has been a powerful connecting force, linking generations past and present.  Now, the impact of an invasive Asian beetle, the Emerald Ash Borer, threatens this craft.  As the borer moves across the region in a wave of devastation, millions of ash trees have been lost, leaving an uncertain future for this age old tradition.  Through the voices of Native Elders and basket makers in West Michigan, this film explores the beauty of this traditional art and reveals a story of family, hope, and an underlying spirit of cultural resilience.

This film screening at the North Berrien Historical Museum is free to attend and complimentary popcorn and refreshments will be served.  The museum is located at 300 Coloma Avenue, on Red Arrow Highway across from Coloma High School.  For more information, contact the museum at (269) 468-3330.