Socialization of Women
Basket making has an important role in the political socialization of Indigenous women. As Molly Lee discusses in her paper, “How Will I Sew My Baskets?”, there is a rise in “the evolving politicization of women traders and the growing role of market art” (Lee 583). Through collective basket-making and trading, women are able to meet and discuss important topics that are affecting them. Women in the Great Lakes region engage in this kind of building of social capital and sharing of networks as well. Parrish mentions how basket-weaving "is and has always been a communal process" (Parrish, 2016). This illustrates how basket-making inherently promotes community and socialization. Parrish also "competes in juried art shows, like the Santa Fe Indian Market or smaller ones like the Indian Art Market put on by the Eiteljorg Museum" (Parrish, 2016). These local events help create an even greater increase in the socialization and connection between many Native American women in the Great Lakes region.
For further reading:
Feminist Nations? A Study of Native American Women in Southwestern Tribal Politics