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Ramsey King

Ramsey KingRamsey King is one of the few remaining male basket makers among the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. He lives near Carthage, Mississippi in the Conehatta Choctaw community. Learning his art from his grandmother and great aunts, Ramsey uses age old traditions when making his baskets. Basket making begins with gathering the cane from the swamps. Once Ramsey cuts and splits the cane into four long pieces he uses a small, sharp knife to peel off the cane’s exterior into long thin strips. Then some of the cane is dyed before it is finally woven into a finished basket. Ramsey specializes in double weave baskets which have inner and outer walls that are woven together. A frequent demonstrator at the Moundville Native American Festival, Ramsey King says he enjoys teaching others about Choctaw basket weaving.