WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon visited with constituent, Julia Parker of Lee Vining and winner of the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship award for her work as a Kashia Pomo basketmaker.
“Julia Parker certainly deserved the lifetime honor she received today from the National Endowment for the Arts,” stated McKeon. “It was a great honor meeting Julia, not only because of the outstanding award she received, but also because she is a woman rich in Indian tradition. I literally could have spent hours listening to the story of her life and how she came to learn the way of native basket weaving, and I can’t think of a better recipient for the National Heritage Fellowship.”
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) annually awards one-time-only National Heritage Fellowships for master folk and traditional artists. The fellowships are intended to recognize artistic excellence and support continuing contributions to the nation's traditional arts heritage.
Parker is a renowned traditional Indian basket weaver. She learned her trade from Park naturalist, Douglas Hubbard of the Yosemite Museum, as a young woman. Parker’s work has gained considerable attention and has been featured in the National Museum of the American Indian, the Heard Museum, and the National Museum of Natural History.
In 1983, Parker had the distinguished honor of meeting Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to Yosemite when Parker presented the Queen with a handmade basket. Today, the basket rests in the Queen’s Museum in Windsor Castle.
Today, Parker and her family visited with Rep. “Buck” McKeon in his Washington, D.C. office. The Congressman was in awe that four generations of basketmakers were in his office at once. Parker’s daughter, granddaughter, and great granddaughter, who were with the Congressman today, all practice in the Indian basket weaving tradition.
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