{"id":20246,"date":"2023-10-03T09:11:42","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T13:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/hudsonmuseum\/?p=20246"},"modified":"2025-09-12T09:50:43","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T13:50:43","slug":"eldon-hanning-artist-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/hudsonmuseum\/2023\/10\/03\/eldon-hanning-artist-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"Eldon Hanning (Artist Profile)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It isn\u2019t a Wabanaki Winter Market<\/strong><\/a> at the Hudson Museum<\/a><\/strong> without Eldon Hanning – Mi\u2019kmaq – demonstrating brown ash pounding and the preparation of splints to weave baskets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eldon Hanning and his son Frank are some of the only basketmakers, who can select a brown ash tree in the woods. Father and son split the log into sticks, pound them to produce splints, and then take the splints to make traditional Mi\u2019kmaq basket forms \u2014 pack baskets, shoppers, laundry, and potato baskets and fishing creels among many other forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eldon grew up in a family of basketmakers.  <\/span>He started making baskets with his mother, Elizabeth Knockwood Hanning and his father Ben Hanning. During his childhood he lived in Fort Fairfield, Limestone, Presque Isle, Mapleton, Easton and Washburn in Aroostook County. The family worked the potato harvest and made baskets, among other seasonal occupations.  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1971, Eldon enlisted in  <\/span>the US Army and served at a variety of military bases including Korea. While he was in Korea, he married a Korean women and they had a son, Frank, who was born in 1973.  <\/span>Eldon left the military in 1981 and moved back to Maine.  <\/span>After a visit to the Micmac Council\u2019s Basket Bank, he decided to start making baskets again. Today he makes baskets full time as well as supplies prepared ash to other Wabanaki basketmakers.  <\/span>He has passed the tradition on to his son, Frank and his grandson Ben, who will also be at the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video:<\/strong> Eldon Hanning – Ash Harvest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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