Australia, Kakadu National Park, aboriginal basket weaving

While in Kakadu I went to a basket weaving demonstration done by the ladies of Arnhem Land . (Arnhem Land is an area of Australia owned and managed by aborigines which has a shared boundarie with Kakadu National Park).

The first part of the process is to split the center leaves of the Pandanus spiralis. Take my word for it the process is not as easy as it looks. They let us try. It was actually a great presentation because it was very much hands on and we tried it all.

This is the Pandanus spiralis (I am thinking of doing a post just about that plant...really)

Then once they have dried you can dyed them. As an example this is the root a of "yellow leave bush", I do not know its true name. You have to peel it and then pund the soft part off  the hard woody part of the root. On that day they also used some other red plant.

Then you boil it in water and immerse the pandanus strands.

And this is the resulting colours. (The yellow one is obviously from the "yellow leave bush)