Jackson Linda

Linda Jackson (Kwanaratawe)
MOHAWK/WOLF CLAN
12 Jackson Road
Akwesasne, NY 13655

Linda Jackson comes from a family of nine. At the age of six, her mother taught her to weave and string Lacrosse sticks. By age twelve, she knew how to make the entire stick. Making handmade Lacrosse sticks was part of a cottage industry in Akwesasne, and early training helped Linda become a skilled basketmaker. Both her aunts, Charlotte Delormier and Mary Leaf, were gifted basketmakers as well.

Linda learned basketmaking from her sister-in-law, Mae Bigtree, who taught her in the very traditional way the whole process from cleaning, splitting, thinning splints, braiding sweetgrass. Linda now teaches in schools and recreational centers making sure the tradition endures.

She makes a range of berry baskets including strawberry, raspberry and blueberry and specializes in the “popcorn style” weave. Many of Linda’s baskets are embellished with sweetgrass, which she braids on her family car trips to Florida. When she returns to Akwesasne, she has a big roll of fragrant sweetgrass to adorn her beautiful baskets.