Eliza working on a mat. photo credit: U of M Bentley Library, Ruth Craker collection and Weengush Odeimin
Blind Eliza Sah-Gah lived in a little house in Ahgosatown where she was born in 1910. Little is known about her besides her excellent mat weaving skills.
House – credit Omena Historical Society
She was part of a group of highly skilled basket weavers in Ahgosatown who, with what must have been much patience, taught her mat weaving.
There are many examples of baskets made by Ahgosatown women at the Eyaawing museum, but none by Eliza. Perhaps they all were used by locals and wore out.
Mats were an important part of daily life. They provided privacy, comfort, color; they made a house a home. The mats could not be washed. When a mat became dirty, it was simply thrown away and new ones made. Perhaps that’s why none of Eliza’s mats survived.