Ann Mitchell

Mohawk

My name is Ann Mitchell, I am a Haudenosaunee (Mohawk) woman who makes traditional Mohawk baskets with a contemporary spin. I was born in November, 1989 in Akwesasne which is located where the New York, Ontario and Québec borders meet. I lived in Akwesasne my whole life and came from a family well known in the community for practicing the traditional Mohawk art of Black Ash and Sweetgrass basketry. In 2015, I started Dream Weaver Basketry and launched my online store + blog in July, 2015.

Basket making has been passed down through many generations of my family and I was taught the fancy basket weaving techniques by my mother, Laura, when I was a child. Being swept up by the curiosities of childhood, I lost interest but picked it back up in 2011. From there, I started working on basketry full-time. I love pushing the boundaries and challenging myself to make something different. My creations are diverse in both style and colour, ranging from baskets and vases, to flowers and accessories. My lotus flowers have become my signature embellishment which can be put on stems for bouquets or woven onto hats, baskets and more. I received 1st place in the 2013 Seneca Nation Fall Festival and 1st place in the 2014 New York State Fair. My work was also featured in an "Artist Spotlight" newspaper article in The Indian Time in November 2013 and also in December 2014. In 2015, I was awarded the Young Entrepreneur Award in the Akwesasne Business Excellence Awards. Currently, I work from my home in Akwesasne.