Importance of pregnancy
The significance of pregnancy and the importance women's experience of carrying a child is highly emphasized in Indigenous cultures. Before colonization, "birthing was viewed as transformative" (Simpson 27). In many Indigenous societies "women had important responsibilities based on their knowledge of birthing... they were honored and respected for their power as nourishers" (Simpson 27). This emphasizes the importance of pregnancy as seen by Indigenous societies, which is also echoed by Cherish Parrish herself. Parrish explains that the basket itself represents "weaving for the next generation" (Parrish, 2016). She details how she is reminded by her grandmother that "everything I learn and do plays a role in shaping the next generation of weavers and just Anishinaabe Kwe" (Parrish, 2016). She describes how through the tradition of weaving, she "inherently becomes a carrier of our culture, similar to the way that a mother is a carrier of culture in the form of her child" (Parrish, 2016). The basket is also a literal form of a carrier because of the use of baskets in carrying important items. Parrish also identifies the importance of the pregnant belly because she believes "it is the most universally meaningful form that the human body can take... the pregnant form is a universal ideal for something beautiful and appreciated" (Parrish, 2016). Through this emphasis on the duality of the usefulness yet beauty of the pregnant woman, the importance of pregnancy is revealed.
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