Loren Bommelyn is the most prolific basket weaver for the Tolowa tribe. But he also knows linguistics and taught his language—even earning his masters at University of Oregon and expanding California University’s entrance requirements for world language.
Bommelyn in 2014
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loren_Bommelyn
As we can tell, Bommelyn’s main goal is to preserve his culture.
It’s traditional for men in Northern California tribes to weave open work baskets because it requires a lot of physical strength. This is how Bommelyn started his journey of basket weaving at the age of twelve. Through this he learned that although he wants his creations to be visually aesthetic, Bommelyn wants them to be used.
“The old Indians say that things like to be used, that when they aren't used they get lonesome” (link).
https://rlingnau.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/traditional-basket/
In 2002, Bommelyn received the National Heritage Fellowship by National Endowment for the Arts for preserving his Tolowa culture. This is a great achievement given to this indigenous artist because it’s one of America's highest awards for folk and traditional arts.
https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage
While most art focuses on moving forward, it’s important for some artists to focus on conserving history and heritage.