Artist and Anthropologist. Essie Nellie "Piwoya" Pinola Parrish was a Pomo Indian basket maker and teacher of Pomo customs. Many called her the best Indian artist of the early 20th century. In addition she served her people as a skilled healer. To further her goals of preserving Native American culture, she participated in documentaries on the Pomo produced by anthropologists at the University of California, Berkeley. She did research with the well known anthropologist of California Indians, Alfred Kroeber. In preserving Pomo basket making, she elevated Pomo baskets from a craft to high art. Some Pomo baskets today cost thousands of dollars and are coveted by both museums and private collectors. She inspired other Native American tribes to value their handiwork and improve their economies through art.
Artist and Anthropologist. Essie Nellie "Piwoya" Pinola Parrish was a Pomo Indian basket maker and teacher of Pomo customs. Many called her the best Indian artist of the early 20th century. In addition she served her people as a skilled healer. To further her goals of preserving Native American culture, she participated in documentaries on the Pomo produced by anthropologists at the University of California, Berkeley. She did research with the well known anthropologist of California Indians, Alfred Kroeber. In preserving Pomo basket making, she elevated Pomo baskets from a craft to high art. Some Pomo baskets today cost thousands of dollars and are coveted by both museums and private collectors. She inspired other Native American tribes to value their handiwork and improve their economies through art.
Bio by: Sharlotte Neely Donnelly
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