N.B. First Nations basket maker teaching craft to boost community’s economy

Late last month, a New Brunswick Mi’kmaq basket maker was awarded with the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick’s Pioneer Award and now he is working to help promote tourism in his community.

Joe John Sanipass, 80, is an artisan currently involved in a joint initiative by the province, tourism operator Roads to Sea Inc. and the Elsipogtog First Nation to train more artisans in traditional Mi’kmaq crafts.

For Sanipass, crafting baskets dates back to when he was five-years-old when he learned the traditional art from his grandmother, who he said used to trade the baskets for food.

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As an elder himself, he is passing on the intricate skills that go into basket making to others in his community.

“I cannot take my skill with me when I die so I got to share that with somebody else,” Sanipass said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I cannot take my skill with me when I die so I got to share that with somebody else," Sanipass said.

The 80-year-old artisan said there’s more to making a basket than just producing something other people can use.

He said it can be therapeutic too and can even decrease anxiety.

On May 23-24, Sanipass was awarded the Pioneer Award. According to a release from TIANB, the recipient is chosen for their commitment and “outstanding contribution to the promotion of tourism in New Brunswick.” He accepted the award with his family by his side.

Roads to Sea owner Anna-Marie Weir is working with Sanipass to help launch the tourism initiative.

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She said it’s because many First Nations products currently sold in gift shops aren’t made locally, instead being imported from elsewhere in Canada.

According to Weir, the goal is to have Sanipass pass on the traditional skills to apprentices in the community so the tradition is passed on.

“The idea for this whole project is a way for community members to be gainfully employed, number one, in a way that they are preserving and also being able to share their culture with communities outside of their community,” Weir said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The idea for this whole project is a way for community members to be gainfully employed, number one, in a way that they are preserving and also being able to share their culture with communities outside of their community," Weir said.

The baskets will then be sold through a co-operative, currently being organized for artisans to make and have budgets to work with to produce products to then be sold in different venues.

The New Brunswick Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture has given $5,000 to create a promotional video and to train new artisans. Roads to Sea and Elsipogtog has also contributed funding, but the amount is not known.

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Training is only the first phase in the process. Sanipass said he also wants to create a workshop where he teaches tourists the basic techniques that are used to make baskets.

The process, he said, would allow them to physically feel what it’s like to create a basket made from ash reeds, which has been part of his culture for thousands of years.

“You make a basket and it’s the base of your community and when you complete that, it’s a love that you are doing,” Sanipass said. “You are creating a great deal of love.”