Learning from trees

This essay originally published on my Substack, “The Sidecar” by John Duffy

For over two centuries, elders of the Alabama-Coushatta Indian tribe of Texas have been carefully weaving baskets made of pine needles. While patient craftsmanship is a requirement, so is a certain kind of material: a needle long and durable enough for the task. This weaving tradition has weathered the test of time, being passed down through generations, as has the other key component: the longleaf pine tree.