California Wylacki Native and grandmother, Phyllis Azbill, has been working with students at Round Valley Elementary for 4 years as a basket instructor. "I show the children how to make small traditional baskets."

As she walks through the grounds of the school, the children greet her as "the pine needle basket lady." Phyllis’ gentle humor and kind guidance with students makes her a popular figure on campus. Phyllis says of her work "I figure it out as I go along . . .When you’re working with crafts, you have to learn to be crafty."

Phyllis learned basketry later in life, adapting her needlework skills to this new art. She likes to experiment and try new crafts. She's added beadwork to her miniature baskets and teaches the children to make pendants (click here to see a picture of one) using basketweaving techniques.

Her teachers
Phyllis pulls from her totebag a well-worn copy of Susan Billy’s book REMEMBER YOUR RELATIONS: The Elsie Allen Baskets, Family and Friends, about life, families and basketry in Mendocino County. San Francisco Bay Area Urban Indian Basketweavers and weavers from Rohnerville Rancheria are resources that Phyllis works with. She is part of The Round Valley Tribal Basketweavers who meet Sunday evenings at the Buffalo Room in the Tribal Office Building from 6:00 to 8:00. Karen Whipple, local basket weaver, has been an inspiration and teacher to Phyllis as she hones her skills. Phyllis’ goal is to make a feather basket to keep.