Folk Arts - Master Artist - Melissa Peterson

Melissa Peterson. Photo by Fritz Dent.

Melissa Peterson learned to make Makah baskets when she was twelve years old, from elders on the Makah reservation. Though taught the Makah-style in the traditional way, Melissa learned Ozette-style weaving on her own, looking at collections and copying the forms in her own work. The Northwest Native American Basket weavers Association has selected her twice as a featured basket weaver and Peterson has been involved with activities at the Makah Cultural and Research center since it opened. Peterson uses basketry as not only an economic resource, but as a means of cultural preservation.

As a recipient of a 1992 Apprenticeship grant, Peterson taught Deanna Buzzel-Gray (Peterson’s cousin) to weave in the traditional Makah style. Peterson taught Deanna different basketry techniques as well as material gathering, preparation, and preservation. Peterson focused on basketry stitches and turndowns, as well as the language and cultural characteristics of the Makah culture that are so clearly entwined with the basketry medium.

As a recipient of a 2001 Apprenticeship grant, Peterson taught Madeline Kelby and Samantha Della (Peterson’s daughters) wrap twine basketry and other techniques, Makah language basketry terms, and gathering of traditional materials such as sweet grass and bear grass.

Both Madeline and Samantha have been weaving since childhood. In the past, they have both helped Peterson teach classes on basket weaving. Madeline and Samantha hope to master the technique of basket weaving in order to carry on the traditions of the Makah, and pass them on to the next generations.