April Ogimaakwe Stone

April Ogimaakwe Stone, an Ojibwe Black Ash basket maker from the Bad River reservation in northern Wisconsin, has been working with black ash since 1998. She spent one year studying a basket in use before attempting to weave her first basket in the spring of 1999 and ended up falling in love with all things connected to this craft including live harvest and log processing of raw material into usable splint for weaving. Since 2000, she has researched and traveled extensively, sharing her skills with young and old. April harvests all of her raw materials from the ceded territory swamps and forests of northern Wisconsin and processes it all by hand, providing beautiful, natural material for her own baskets and for baskets made by others. She believes in the traditional skill building of handwork and the healing power of making baskets and has received much recognition for her working knowledge of Black Ash basketry, while being thought of as a patient and gentle educator.

"Baapaagimaak (black ash) marked the beginning of my journey with traditional craft as an Indigenous woman from northern Wisconsin..opening me up to the establishment of greater connections with other plant beings that exist all around me and what historically was made with them."