A table displaying Washoe basketry in front of the Genoa Courthouse at the Genoa Western Heritage Festival on Saturday.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
The Nevada State Museum will unveil an exhibit dedicated to the artistry and legacy of Washoe basket makers and weavers on May 16.
Titled “Waší∙šiw Guwá: The Work of the Washoe People,” the exhibit features 10 of the known 19 works by Louisa Keyser, also known as Datsolalee, making it the largest public collection of her baskets in a single location.
The Basketry Gallery is connected to the Under One Sky gallery in the downstairs portion of the Museum. The exhibit showcases a total of 29 works from other Washoe weavers such as Scees Bryant Possock, Sarah Mayo, Maggie Mayo James, and Neola Pete.
The exhibit can be seen following admission to the Nevada State Museum, which works to provide the public with quality educational exhibits and programs celebrating Nevada’s natural and cultural heritage.
Curated by Dr. Anna Camp, Nevada State Museum’s curator of anthropology and tribal liaison, the exhibit is the result of years of collaboration with the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.
The Washoe are known for having a distinct language, intricate basketry traditions, and deep knowledge of fishing and gathering practices.
Extensive efforts were taken to emphasize Washoe voices, including the incorporation of stories and oral histories shared directly by tribal members that shape both the visual and audio experience visitors can expect.
Washoe Tribal Elders, including Melba Rakow, one of the last fluent first-language Washoe speakers, played a prominent role in shaping the gallery’s narrative and contributed voice translations of key materials. Rakow’s recordings offer visitors a rare opportunity to hear the Washoe language spoken in context.
“This exhibit is a painstaking effort to present a living record,” Camp said. “Our goal was to tell the story of Washoe basketry the way the community would want it told, not through romanticized myth but through cultural truth. We are excited to share the result of this hard work with visitors who will encounter the respect and tradition on display and take home a better understanding of the heart and craft of Washoe weavers.”
In conjunction with the opening, Camp will deliver a lecture 6:30-7:30 p.m. May 22 as part of the museum’s Frances Humphrey Lecture Series.
Camp conducted oral histories with tribal elders such as Lana Hicks and Melba Rakow, stories that shared cultural knowledge now woven into the exhibit itself.
“We talked for hours,” Camp said. “It was important to me that their words and worldview shaped the gallery. It was about more than baskets—it was about spirit, story, and connection.”
Admission for the lecture is $10 for adults. Children 17 and under are free and Nevada State Museum members can attend for free.