The Final Chapter: Basket maker April Stone helps us celebrate ten years of Love Wisconsin

An important update about Wisconsin Humanities and its programs, including Human Powered podcast and Love Wisconsin digital stories:  

As a result of the defunding of Wisconsin Humanities and all state councils' operational grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, this will be the last episode of Human Powered. The news of the cut to the WH was abrupt, and so we are still figuring things out.  If you want to know more, we have updates on the Wisconsin Humanities website: wisconsinhumanities.org

In this episode. you'll hear from April Stone, an Ojibwe Black Ash basketmaker from the Bad River Reservation who harvests the black ash logs by hand from the deepest parts of the marshes and swamps near her home in northern Wisconsin. April is a self-taught artist who is sought out by folks throughout the country who want to learn the techniques of a traditional black ash basket weaver. April only works with natural materials that she can gather herself and weaves her baskets by hand – which connects her to the land. She also has a lot to say about how the change to increasingly extreme weather is impacting her work. Yet the work continues to be healing for her and for the many, many people she has been able to teach.

To celebrate ten years of Love Wisconsin stories, we have been reconnecting with some of the people behind the most popular stories. We think April's ideas and work are as relevant today as they were when we first met her and we hope you enjoy the updated ‘Where is she now?” chapter.   

Read April Stone's Love Wisconsin story here: https://www.lovewi.com/april