By Susanne Hammel-Sawyer (Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians)

As a first-time visitor to the Autry, I was particularly interested in the baskets on display, as I am a contemporary Chumash basket weaver. Drawn in by the title “Reclaiming El Camino,” I was pleased to see that here was a presentation through the eyes of the Indigenous people. This exhibit looks at these people as much more than impediments to Western expansion, more than souls to be converted to Catholicism, but rather as individuals indeed equal to any invading Spaniard.  

The role of woven baskets in daily Chumash life was indispensable, as they were needed for carrying, storing, cooking, winnowing, eating and drinking, and more. Yet Chumash baskets were beautiful as well as utilitarian and helped to demonstrate that the Native culture was more developed and evolved than an imperialistic mind might care to grasp. This view is exciting to me as someone who has Chumash blood and as a weaver.  

I came to basket weaving late in life, beginning just seven years ago at the age of seventy. Under the excellent tutelage of Abe Sanchez and the encouragement of many others, I have made baskets mainly to be given to family members and a few close friends. As a descendant of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, I’ve been pleased to be part of a revival of Chumash basket weavers and to help show that Chumash basket weaving is not just a part of the past but is alive today. In honoring the ancestral weavers, I attempt to make baskets that can be utilitarian, not just decorative pieces. Some of my baskets incorporate rock art designs as well as more traditional basket patterns.  

Harvesting the materials needed sometimes involves hiking into areas where not many people now venture. It is not difficult to picture the ancestors there and to feel close to their presence. It may be a bit presumptuous of me to say, but I think that they would be pleased that the basketry part of their culture is being preserved, practiced, and appreciated. And to continue in that thread, I think that they would value the viewpoint taken by the exhibit. Reclaiming El Camino

There is so much more to Native culture than baskets, and it’s exciting to see the continuing importance of language, songs, and dance, the building and rowing of tomols, ceremonies, the creation of other handcrafts and tools, as well as an increasing interest in Native foods and their health benefits. But it’s basket weaving that called to me and gave me the gift of a late-in-life passion. None of us studying the ancient ways stands alone. We are part of a cultural river dating back thousands of years that continues to bring meaning to modern life. The exhibit helps by portraying the intrinsic value of Indigenous culture, apart from comparison with invaders or separate cultures. This is an important mission of which the Autry is a part, and I deeply appreciate the inspiration provided by Reclaiming El Camino.

Reclaiming El Camino