Weaving Spruce Root Baskets

Anthony White and his son Danny White weaving spruce root baskets. Originally filmed for the Traces Project for Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1982. Anthony White (affectionately referred to as "Pop" by many) has since passed, but his son Danny White now carries on the tradition as the Master Basket Maker.
Uploaded on behalf of the family in the interest of spreading and sharing the knowledge of our roots and our traditions. In loving memory of Pop.
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Big thanks to my parents for helping me find the electronic copy, and Uncle Danny for his guidance and his teachings.

[@kcramone4854]

My grandpa and uncle ...god bless both with Mic'maq tradition, love always

[@NEWFIEBOY1981]

Keeping our "roots" alive, thanks for sharing

[@beowoofthemoviestar]

This film was good to see - thanks for posting it.

[@fidenemini111]

We have the same type of basket (and few variations as well) in Lithuania. It is called here a Potato Basket as these baskets generally used for potato crop gathering. They are mostly made of unpeeled willow. Sometimes to have a nicer look these baskets were also made of peeled willow or spruce root as well - for mushrooms or berries. The hoops were mostly made of hazel or spruce. I have weaved myself few of willow, but never of spruce root. My father did. Nowadays farmers used to weave these baskets of metal, using thicker steel wire for hoops and ribs, and weaving - with aluminium wire. Such basket lasts much longer but the look is nasty. Square weaved joints of two hoops are called "Potatoes" :). Thank you for sharing this tradition.

[@janedaly4554]

I used to make those with my step father, Edward Young, who is also from Shallop Cove! My daughter wants me to get back into it and teach her as well. It is amazing the memories this video brings to me!

[@philipcarter5784]

amazing. We should never forget these old tradtions. I am a semi retired Willow basket weaver from England.

[@kellyroup6665]

I have just finished a basket like in this vid. but using mulberry limbs for staves and handle and twisting the leaves of what we in Texas call ditch cane. Wish I had spruce roots! twisting leaves in as I wove it took me the better part of a day and when meeting in the middle it was quite hard to finish off. Thank You for the excellent video!

[@romboldt]

New Upload! Weaving Spruce Root Baskets
While working with a new piece of software for sound editing I realized that I could use it to fix up this old video of my grandfather and my uncle working together for a documentary film. This new upload has the sound touched up to remove the white noise and was also able to recover some of the previously lost voices.

[@cathymartin3415]

At 22 seconds in, the narrator speaks about how the Mi'kmaq" adopted the style but used spruce roots instead of splints used elsewhere". This is confusing, as the Mi'kmaq most places used splints instead of using the spruce root to make this style of basket learned from the Blacks of NS. So, I am not sure if this means that the Mi'kmaq in NL use spruce roots instead of splints that other Mi'kmaq use, or what is meant here. Thanks.

[@CoveBoy709]

wow i got to say i learned alot as i watched this vid so much work and information i wish i knew how to make baskets like that and we hope you enjoy this video and please like and please subscribe thanks and please support this person and their vids

[@marcellogalasso2010]

Ciao volevo sapere se si possono usare qualsiasi tipo di radici?