Clint McKay, Pomo/Wappo basket maker will display his baskets and speak to us about the artistry and cultural significance of baskets in the lives of indigenous people. Clint is Indigenous Education Coordinator and Native Advisory Council Chair at Pepperwood Preserve, and has spoken about and displayed Pomo basketry at numerous locations throughout Sonoma County.

Since August 16, his baskets have been on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City, as part of an exhibition that explores the intercultural exchange between the Indigenous Pomo community of Elem at Clear Lake in Northern California and French-born and -trained American artist Jules Tavernier (1844–1889). This show will move to the De Young Museum in San Francisco in December.

The Museum website states,

“… in 1874, the Pomo peoples had for decades suffered the consequences of White settlement, …Yet in the face of colonialism, Pomo communities developed strategies of resistance and endurance that persist today. Innovation and adaptation are evident in their basketry—the art form for which the Pomo peoples are best known. The historical and contemporary examples here, including baskets by Clint McKay (Dry Creek Pomo/Wappo/Wintun), celebrate the resiliency of Indigenous Pomo peoples and highlight their continued cultural presence.”

Thursday evening lectures are once again being held at the Sonoma Mission Chapel.  Masks are required. Admission fee is $10 general public, $5 SPParks members, and free to Sonoma State Historic Park docents.