Mabel McKay weaving a coiled basket | Photo: courtesy Sharon Rogers and Marshall McKay
For Mabel McKay, the renowned Pomo basket weaver, traditional doctor, and last speaker of her language, her relationship with the environment was an intrinsic part of life. She had a spiritual connection to the plants she wove into her baskets, a deep respect for the birds she used for her feather work, and longstanding ties to the cultural traditions of her ancestors. Interviewed for an article in the magazine American Indian Basketry in 1983, Mabel said: collecting the sedge is spiritual, just like weaving the basket is spiritual.
--
--
Mabel was born in 1907 and passed away in 1993. Over the course of her lifetime-which nearly spanned the entirety of the twentieth century-she would have experienced an enormous amount of social and political change. Born in Lake County in the town of Nice, California and raised near Cache Creek (now the present day Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation about forty minutes south of Sacramento), she witnessed the landscape around her changing. Pomo territory is very environmentally diverse, ranging from the coastal redwood forests of the Kashaya Pomo reservation near Fort Ross to the rolling grasslands and oak groves near Clear Lake.
A History of the Pomo People in California | Video: The Autry Museum
When Mabel was born, there were only six members of her tribe the Long Valley Cache Creek Pomo remaining, and approximately 700 members of all of the other Pomo groups. This number was in sharp contrast to the over 20,000 Pomo people who lived in the area prior to contact; in less than a century, disease, violence, and outright targeted extermination efforts had led to devastating population loss. Remarkably, Mabel was able to preserve her traditions into the late twentieth century, especially given the fact that there were so few members left to continue these cultural practices.
One of the things that sets Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) apart from other disciplines is the manner in which it is passed down. Indigenous cultures around the world transmit this knowledge through oral tradition, with elders teaching the next generation. TEK is learned through observing nature, developing a close relationship with the environment, and as is often linked with spirituality. For Mabel McKay, her life was guided by the Spirit, which spoke to her in dreams and instructed her on basket weaving and doctoring.
(Story continues below)
One of Mabel McKays miniature baskets | Video: The Autry Museum
Another miniature by Mabel | Video: The Autry Museum
When Mabel was young, she suffered from a series of illnesses. As a result, she never finished formal schooling past the third grade. Yet she was exceptionally knowledgeable about plants, seasons, and water systems. She learned to gather medicinal plants from her Wintun maternal grandmother Sarah Taylor, and in turn passed this knowledge down to Nomtipom Wintu herbalist and ethnobotanist Sage LaPena.
The only extant video of Mabel McKay, speaking to a classroom. | Video: courtesy the Autry Museum
Mabel used a variety of medicinal plants in her healing, including Artemisia or mugwort, manzanita, angelica, and yerba santa, all of them native to California. These plants are used to treat a variety of ailments from stomach aches to menstrual cramps. Though she technically had only a third grade education and did not receive her driver's license until age sixty, Mabel McKay shared her knowledge by consulting with museums and speaking at universities, including prestigious institutions like Stanford University Medical School.
Mabel's maternal grandmother Sarah Taylor | Photo: courtesy Sharon Rogers and Marshall McKay
Mabel's knowledge of plants-used for both healing and basket weaving-was extensive. In the late 1970s, Mabel began to teach basket weaving classes to a group of dedicated students, both Native and non-Native. She was willing to teach anyone as long as they were able to listen and adhere to her rules. Long before any of her students started weaving, they had to learn to properly gather and prepare their materials. It would often take up to two years before her students could start working on a basket. Mabel would take her students out gathering, teaching them the proper ways to tend and maintain basketry plants, and when they could gather.
Knowledge of seasons is essential for gathering basketry plants. For example redbud, one of the primary design materials in Pomo baskets, must be gathered in the fall to produce the desired red effect. Redbud gathered in the summer is white. In keeping with Pomo tradition, Mabel exclusively used redbud for the red designs in her baskets. She also taught her students about birds and other animal species, and their relationship to the plants. When consulting on a display of a sedge bed in a past exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Mabel insisted that a blue jay be included as jays give warning of danger approaching, like an adjacent predator.
More from Tending The Wild
Tules: Weaving Baskets, Boats, Decoys, and Houses
Weaving the Words Together: Protecting Language and Life at the Same Time
The Plants Need Us to Speak Up For Them: Talking With Nick Hummingbird
1 of 2
next
Sedge, or k'uhum in the Northern Pomo language, is one of the most important plants for Pomo basket weavers. Sedge requires generations of tending, to ensure that the roots grow long and straight. The roots need to flourish in sandy soil, free from rocks and debris. Mabel's son Marshall reflects that she was always able to find the longest sedge roots, often several feet in length. Prior to digging sedge, Mabel would say a prayer. To her, the relationship between people, plants, and the spirit world were one. It was Mabel's relationship with the pl
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Mabel McKay weaving a coiled basket | Photo: courtesy Sharon Rogers and Marshall McKay 
