The People:
Martha Ross

Martha Ross pulling apart white oak to make basket splits
Martha Ross pulling apart white oak to make basket splits

Martha Lossiah Ross (b. 1931) was born and raised in Big Cove, a remote section of the Qualla Boundary near Cherokee, North Carolina. Her mother, Charlotte Lottie Welch Lossiah made and sold baskets. Ross specialized in white oak baskets and joined the Qualla Arts and Crafts cooperative in 1956. In 1975, she began working there and remained for 23 years.

Read more about Martha Ross on the Cherokee Traditions website.