Underwater Basket Weaving

            Underwater basket weaving is an craft that seems like it could almost be make-believe but is actually a reality, and is done on the University of Oklahoma campus.

            In Mrs. Armour’s Cherokee class, the students took a break from the normal grudge of learning the language and homework assignments to learn how to make the baskets.

            One of her students and OU junior Brad Balke didn’t know what to think when the class was told they would be underwater basket weaving.

            “When I first heard Mrs. Armour tell us that we would be weaving baskets in water I thought that she had to be joking around with us,” Balke said.

            The name for the craft is almost deceiving. While you do have to get the string wet in order to weave the baskets, you are not actually under water while making them.

            You begin making the baskets by cutting the right amount of string. Once you do that you are supposed to soak the string until it is more flexible so it’s easier to weave without breaking. That’s how the craft got it’s odd name. The weaving pattern is almost so simple that an elementary school kid could master the craft.

            “I definitely enjoyed weaving the baskets in class and it definitely gave me a more hands on opportunity to learn more about the Cherokee culture,” Balke said. “It was an easy thing for me to remember how to do and I would definitely rather weave the baskets than write a paper.”