THIS BOX IS NOW SOLD. FINAL BID $1,400.00

4 1/4" x 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Cedar, velveteen, nylon thread, glass beads, sagebrush.

"wànashkobàsh is a wetland, soft ground flooding with water; a situation of overwhelming entanglement; and something squishy, cushy, and springy. 

I spent some time working in wetlands over the summer, learning about these complex ecosystems and all of the life that they sustain. Wetlands like swamps, marshes, fens, and bogs all provide homes for a wide variety of life throughout the year, playing a vital role in filtering and storing water, and capturing and storing carbon. However, they are becoming increasingly threatened and have become increasingly rare in densely populated areas. 

This box is decorated with a mix of wetland plants that grow in places I call home. They include skunk cabbage, bog cranberry, pitcher plants, bog laurel, wapato, willow, rosy twisted-stalk, grass pink orchid, blueberry flowers, devil’s club, strawberry, and a round-leaf sundew on top. Inside is a pouch of sagebrush that I harvested from Nlaka’pamux and Syilx territory."

-Cai Brown

This piece is part of our 2024 annual Charity Bentwood Boxes auction running from November 23rd to December 7th.