Baskets were used for many things: to catch fish, store food, carry things, keeping clothing items, and sieves to strain foods were made like baskets. Material used for baskets included buckbrush, honeysuckle, inner bark of the elm, split cane or split oak.
The dyes used were form roots, barks, leaves, nuts, flowers, fruits, stems, seeds, or sometimes a complete plant. The dye used depends on what is available. For example: bloodroot is used for a yellowish color; black walnut is used for a brownish color; elderberries are used for a rose color; butternut is a black color. It depends upon the parts of the material used. For example: if you use the bark of the twigs of the bloodroot, it will give you a yellow color, but if you use the root of the bloodroot, it will give you a redbrown color. The length of time you keep the basket reed in the stained water depends upon the darkness of the color it will get.
