Sara Barton (Hines) is a traditional basketmaker who hails from a long line of basketmakers. Though her own ancestry is a mix of Mono Lake Paiute and Yosemite Miwuk, she now assists the Burns Paiute in keeping their basket and cradleboard traditions.
Bio
Raised in the Mono Lake area of California, east of Yosemite National Park, Sara Barton comes from a long line of basketmakers. Her tribal ancestry is a mix of Mono Lake Paiute and Yosemite Miwuk. When Sara moved to Burns, she came to know Minerva Soucie, a master basketmaker on the Burns Paiute reservation whose work was known throughout Oregon. As their friendship grew, Minerva began to share stories of her people, especially when they were gathering willow and cattails (tullies) together. Minerva’s hope was that her people would continue to make cradleboards. Perhaps she sensed Sara was the person to ensure that would happen. When Sara took Minerva’s cradleboard-making class, she was transformed. Cradleboards soon became a passion for her. Sara has now become a teacher to the Burns Paiute people, helping them renew their basket and cradleboard-making traditions. Sara also occupies her time with other types of handwork. Her regalia, worn for dancing and public speaking, was nine years in the making. Sara worked on different facets over time, including the dress itself, the belt, fan, etc. Her buckskin dress is embellished with Olivella, bull pine, and abalone shell accent pieces. Sara cut and polished the abalone herself. The necklace, beaded in a lace pattern by her cousin, took 100 hours to complete.
