New Exhibit Opens At Isle A La Cache On July 1

ROMEOVILLE, IL — A new exhibit will begin July 1 at Isle a la Cache in Romeoville, the Forest Preserve District of Will County shared in a news release.

The “Our Storytellers: Pokagon Potawatomi Black Ash Baskets” exhibit runs through Aug. 30. The preserve said exhibit hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The exhibit was made possible by a donation from The Nature Foundation of Will County.

John Low and the Field Museum of Chicago curated the exhibit, which "highlights the rich cultural history of basket weaving for the Pokagon Potawatomi," according to a news release.

“Visitors will gain a greater appreciation for the living traditions of the Pokagon Potawatomi people and the importance of protecting both cultural knowledge and the natural resources that sustain it,” said Jen Guest, facility supervisor at Isle a la Cache. “Isle a la Cache Museum is an ideal place for this exhibit because it brings people together to explore the rich Indigenous history of our region and the stories that continue to shape it today.”

Each basket maker’s skill and artistry come alive when you see the baskets up close, said Sara Russell, an interpretive naturalist at Isle a la Cache Museum.

“I’m in awe of every single basket,” she said in a release. “To see about 30 of them together is a true pleasure.”

Russell said she particularly loves the baskets that depict strawberries and blueberries, plants that were important to the Pokagon Potawatomi.

“We’re fortunate to see different basket-making families, like the Brown and Pigeon families, and see how their styles are related as techniques are shared,” Russell added. “Visitors will have a chance to see elder baskets made decades ago using natural walnut dyes as well as see baskets made this century during workshops to continue the tradition.”

Russell said in a news release that museum staff are grateful to Low for creating something that honors the Pokagon Potawatomi and their connection to the land and each other.

Low is the author of “Imprints: The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and the City of Chicago.” He also is a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and is a professor emeritus at Ohio State University.