Picking Willows

The seeds of a cross-cultural friendship were first sowed in 1955 when author Pat Lindgren-Kurtz’s family first met indigenous Mountain Maidu basket makers Lilly Baker and her mother, Daisy. As the friendship grew, the contrasts in their backgrounds only enriched their experiences. In her heartfelt memoir, Lindgren-Kurtz not only retells the story of a lifelong friendship, but also details how two cultures intertwined while Daisy and Lilly create beautiful baskets to be cherished by many generations.

As she shares charming anecdotes from her life living with the California Mountain Maidu people, picking willows, and observing their basket-making techniques, she offers an intriguing glimpse into the Maidu culture, their personal trials and tragedies, and the dramatic environmental changes affecting Maidu life from the Gold Rush to contemporary times. Lindgren-Kurtz details that Lilly and Daisy, as part of a large family of skilled basket makers, persisted in sharing their culture and traditional art through hands-on demonstrations for thousands. Women basket makers from Daisy’s and Lilly’s Maidu family are recognized as some of the best artisans of Indian basketry in North America.

A charming basket of untold California history, family memoir, and especially friendships among talented artists from two different cultures.