Oregon Folklife Residency: Traditional Basketry and Weaving Demonstrations with Sara Barton (Hines)
The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center (NHOTIC), with support from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, will host an “Oregon Folklife Residency,” a seven-month partnership with the Oregon Folklife Network.
Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, the friends organization for NHOTIC, partnered with the Oregon Folklife Network to develop a plan to bring Oregon Cultural Keepers to Eastern Oregon to share their traditions in 2026 as part of the America 250 Oregon celebrations.
The first folk residency will take place April 23 to April 25, 2026, featuring Sara Barton (Hines) who is a traditional basketmaker. Her ancestry is a mix of Mono Lake Paiute and Yosemite Miwuk, and she assists Burns Paiute in preserving their basket and cradleboard traditions.
Schedule:
April 24: Demonstration of willow basket weaving
April 25: Demonstration of Tule or Cattail weaving
April 26: Demonstration of “Rabbit Nets,” a newer weaving technique
About Sara Barton (Hines)
Raised in the Mono Lake area of California, east of Yosemite National Park, Sara Barton comes from a long line of basketmakers. Her tribal ancestry is a mix of Mono Lake Paiute and Yosemite Miwuk. When Sara moved to Burns, she came to know Minerva Soucie, a master basketmaker on the Burns Paiute reservation whose work was known throughout Oregon. As their friendship grew, Minerva began to share stories of her people, especially when they were gathering willow and cattails (tullies) together. Minerva’s hope was that her people would continue to make cradleboards. Perhaps she sensed Sara was the person to ensure that would happen.
When Sara took Minerva’s cradleboard-making class, she was transformed. Cradleboards soon became a passion for her. Sara has now become a teacher to the Burns Paiute people, helping them renew their basket and cradleboard-making traditions. Sara also occupies her time with other types of handwork. Her regalia, worn for dancing and public speaking, was nine years in the making. Sara worked on different facets over time, including the dress itself, the belt, fan, etc. Her buckskin dress is embellished with Olivella, bull pine, and abalone shell accent pieces. Sara cut and polished the abalone herself. The necklace, beaded in a lace pattern by her cousin, took 100 hours to complete.
Event Accessibility:
- Wheelchair-accessible venue
- Accessible parking
- Service animals welcome