River cane mat woven by Muscogee Creek artist installed at Pebble Hill

Mark Wilson | 9/6/2023

A mat woven by Muscogee Creek artist Mary Smith from locally harvested river cane has been added to the collection at historic Pebble Hill at Auburn University.

The river cane mat adds to Pebble Hill’s collection of artifacts to tell the story of Creek Indian history, culture and contributions of native peoples who once resided in the majority of what is now the state of Alabama.

The Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities (CAH) in the College of Liberal Arts, housed in Pebble Hill, partnered with Robert Haygens, a traditional basket weaver from Opp, Alabama, to harvest river cane from the property of Bill and Janet Deutsch along Hodnett Creek, near Loachapoka, outside of Auburn.

Center staff then hand-delivered the processed cane to award-winning artist Mary Smith of Bixby, Oklahoma. Smith is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Her work is featured in museums around the country, and she is credited with reintroducing the traditional double-false braid rim technique in basket weaving.

See how the mat was created on the CAH website.

Pebble Hill, also known as the 1847 Scott-Yarborough House, is open for self-guided tours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Visitors are encouraged to email center staff before their arrival.

Tags: Arts and Culture Center for the Arts and Humanities