Kathleen McNeely is the Nah Tah Wahsh School librarian and a member of the Sault Tribe. She has been very generous in providing traditional articles for students to photograph and write commentaries about. Kathleen and her family are pictured here.

The McNeely Basket Collection

The baskets in this collection belonged to Mr. And Mrs. Gilbert McNeely Sr. of St. Ignace, Michigan. Mrs. McNeely (Pauline) was a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.  Both Mr. and Mrs. McNeely have walked onto the spirit world. The collection is now owned by their daughter Kathleen and her husband.

Pauline was a basket maker herself. She worked mostly with birch bark. She learned the art from her mother, Mrs. Eva Powers, also a Sault Tribe Member. Many of the black ash baskets were done by Mrs. Powers.