Lila Greengrass Blackdeer

American basketmaker (1932–2021)

Lila Greengrass Blackdeer

Masuhijajawiga

Lila Greengrass Blackdeer, from a 1965 newspaper

Born|

Lila Greengrass

February 14, 1932

Black River Falls, Wisconsin

Died| October 30, 2021

Wisconsin

Occupation(s)| Artist, basketmaker

Lila Greengrass Blackdeer (February 14, 1932 – October 30, 2021), also known as Masuhijajawiga, was an American maker of black ash baskets, in the Ho-Chunk tradition. She was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship in 1999.

## Early life[edit]

Lila Greengrass was born in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, the daughter of Edwin Greengrass and Bessie Youngbear.[1] Her father attended Carlisle Indian Industrial School from 1913 to 1917.[2] She began making baskets as a child, instructed by her mother in the techniques of their Ho-Chunk (or Winnebago) tradition.[1]

## Career[edit]

Blackdeer taught basketmaking and other crafts for much of her life, including 24 years at Western Wisconsin Technical College.[3] She was also manager of Winnebago Indian Mission Industries, a garment factory run by women in her community, on the site of an old mission school.[4][5] In addition to basketry, Blackdeer was skilled in sewing, dyeing, needlework, and beadwork. She was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1999.[6] She was one of the elder-artists included in an exhibition and documentation project by the Hocak Wazijaci Language and Culture Preservation Committee in 1994.[7][8][9] Works by Blackdeer are in the collections of the Milwaukee Public Museum, Marquette University, and the University of Wisconsin,[1] and many private collections. Her baskets were part of an exhibit at Edgewood College in 2017.[10]

## Personal life[edit]

Lila Greengrass married William P. Blackdeer in 1954. They had four children. Her husband died in 2001.[11] She died in 2021, aged 89 years.[12]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Lila Greengrass Blackdeer". National Endowment for the Arts. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
2. ^ "Edwin Greengrass Student File". Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
3. ^ "Ho-Chunk woman wins folk art award". The La Crosse Tribune. 1999-05-28. p. 14. Retrieved 2022-08-04 - via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ "School Becomes Factory, Indian Mission Excited by New Industry". The La Crosse Tribune. 1965-11-18. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-08-04 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ Epstein, Betty (1965-11-20). "Indians Work Own Garment Firm, Thanks to First Congregational". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-08-04 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ Congdon, Kristin G.; Hallmark, Kara Kelley (2012-03-19). American Folk Art: A Regional Reference [2 volumes]: A Regional Reference. ABC-CLIO. p. 359\. ISBN 978-0-313-34937-9.
7. ^ "Hocak Wazijaci Artistic Traditions Project Collection, 1994". Archival Resources in Wisconsin: Descriptive Finding Aids. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
8. ^ Trescott, Jacqueline (1999-05-27). "The Good Old Ways". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
9. ^ Van Riper, Ardith. "Ho-Chunk Nation Digital Library project celebrates its third year of work". Hocak Worak. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
10. ^ Norton, Robyn (2017-02-05). "Art connects Native Americans". Wisconsin State Journal. pp. E4. Retrieved 2022-08-04 - via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Obituary for William Blackdeer (Aged 69)". The La Crosse Tribune. 2001-04-11. p. 25. Retrieved 2022-08-04 - via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "Lila Greengrass Blackdeer Obituary". Buswell Funeral Home. Retrieved 2022-08-04.