For generations, our ancestors have woven our stories, our history, and our relationship to the land into the physical fibers of the earth. In a world that often tries to compartmentalize Indigenous art as a relic of the past, our artists are proving that our traditions are living, breathing, and contemporary. Today, we are joined by world-renowned Wabanaki basket maker Jeremy Frey. We dive into how the simple, sacred act of weaving serves as a powerful vessel for personal recovery, cultural preservation, and sovereign expression in the face of rapid ecological change.
Episode 54: Weaving, Healing and Resilience with Jeremy Frey
For generations, our ancestors have woven our stories, our history, and our relationship to the land into the physical fibers of the earth. In a world that often tries to compartmentalize Indigenous art as a relic of the past, our artists are proving that our traditions are living, breathing, and contemporary. Today, we are joined by world-renowned Wabanaki basket maker Jeremy Frey. We dive into how the simple, sacred act of weaving serves as a powerful vessel for personal recovery, cultural preservation, and sovereign expression in the face of rapid ecological change.
Wabanaki Words Used:
Apc-oc (again in the future, parting, good-bye, farewell) - https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc
Topics Discussed:
Jeremy Frey - https://jeremyfreybaskets.com/
Jeremy Frey’s Exhibit at Standford University - https://museum.stanford.edu/exhibitions/jeremy-frey-woven-0
Standford University - https://www.stanford.edu/
Emerald Ash Borer - https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/invertebrates/emerald-ash-borer
Santa Fe Indian Market - https://www.swaia.org/
Dawnland Festival - https://www.abbemuseum.org/dawnland-festival
“Woven” by Jeremy Frey - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0847899705?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
Portland Museum of Art - https://www.portlandmuseum.org/
Ramey Mize - https://www.portlandmuseum.org/magazine/ramey-mize/
Jeremy Frey at Portland Museum of Art show - https://www.portlandmuseum.org/exhibitions/jeremy-frey-woven/
Jeremy Frey, at Art Institute of Chicago - https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions/10212/jeremy-frey-woven
Jeremy Frey at The Met 2023 - https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/905840
Jeremy Frey at The Met 2024 - https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/909323
McArthur Genius Grant - https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2025/jeremy-frey
Ann Mitchell - https://www.dreamweaverbasketry.net/
Akwesasne - https://akwesasne.travel/
Caleb Hoffman - https://www.instagram.com/chbaskets/
Gabriel Frey - https://www.gabrielfrey.com/
Sylvia Gabriel - https://www.abbemuseum.org/blog/2011/03/gabriel-women-family-tradition.html
Wabanaki Tribal Nations:
Houlton Band of Maliseet Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians | Littleton, ME (maliseets.net)
Mi’kmaq Mi'kmaq Nation | Presque Isle, ME (micmac-nsn.gov)
Passamaquoddy Tribe Indian Township Passamaquoddy Tribe @ Indian Township | Peskotomuhkati Motahkomikuk
Passamaquoddy Tribe Sipayik Sipayik Tribal Government – Sipayik (wabanaki.com)
Penobscot Nation Penobscot Nation | Departments & Info | Indian Island, Maine
Special Thanks/Woliwon:
Guest: Jeremy Frey
Producer: Gavin Allen
Podcast Team: Macy Downs