Moscow school weaves ‘sally bag’ project into curriculum

The students in Wendy Thompson’s fourth-grade class at Moscow’s McDonald Elementary School finished up quiet reading time Thursday, then got to work on small baskets made out of yarn.

The students are learning how to make miniature Nez Perce “sally bag” baskets. Full-size sally bags are woven baskets used when picking berries, storage or for use as decoration, according to Jenny Williams, a Native artist who has been working with the children on how to make the miniature versions of the real thing.

The student baskets, when done, will be about 1 inch tall and a variety of colors, from pink and purple to gray and white.

One student, Dallas Simmons, started his basket a few days ago and said he wants to give it to his mother when it’s done. It was hard in the beginning, he said, but he’s starting to enjoy the process.

Williams, from Lapwai, was at McDonald Elementary on Thursday with her granddaughter, Lauren Gould, a Lapwai student. The two were helping the student finish the baskets they had started earlier in the week.

“This is kind of something I do to teach students,” Williams said. “It’s an easier skill to learn than doing corn husk work that I do.”

Williams’ visits to Moscow were funded through a grant from the Idaho Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts and matching funds from the McDonald Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization.

Williams visited each of the three fourth-grade classes twice a week during November, her visits lasted for about an hour. Thompson said having them come in and teach the students was fun and went well with the Idaho history she also taught.

The school has welcomed outside artists before to teach students things like pottery and beading.

“For the teachers to take this much time to allow their students to work on these baskets, it’s amazing. It’s really a tribute to the school,” Williams said. “I’m really proud of the accomplishments of students and teachers here.”

Gould also is working on a sally basket in her free time. Hers is three colors and will be about the size of a coffee can when finished. Williams said she is preparing Gould to learn corn husk weaving and wants her to make her own corn husk basket hat.

“I feel like not a lot of the younger generation has learned weaving and I think it’s one of the easier things to make, you just have to have time,” Gould said. “And I just want it to stay alive, so I can one day teach my kids.”

Kali Nelson can be reached at knelson@dnews.com.