Kelly Church (Grand Traverse Band of Chippewa and Ottawa), Hopkins, Michigan
Kelly Church, a fifth generation weaver, did not start weaving until she was in her early 30s, learning mainly from her father Bill Church and her cousin, John Pigeon. Having mastered the form, she taught her daughter Cherish Parrish, with whom she now enjoys weaving. Kelly recently received a Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Award. In 2006 Kelly organized a symposium for black ash weavers on the destruction caused by the Emerald Ash Borer, as part of an outreach program for the National Museum of the American Indian.

Jacob Keshick (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa), Pellston, Michigan
Jacob and his sister Odemin were taught the art of making birchbark boxes decorated with porcupine quill embroidery by their mother, master artist Yvonne Walker Keshick.

Yvonne Walker Keshick (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa), Pellston, Michigan
Yvonne Keshick is descended from a long line of excellent quill workers including her grandmother, Mary Anne Kiogima, one of the region's finest quill workers of the early twentieth century. Yvonne began making porcupine quill boxes in 1968 with her aunt and teacher, Susan Shagonaby, and eventually became a master and teacher in her own right. In 1992 she was honored with a Michigan Heritage Award.

Cherish Nebeshanze Parrish (Gun Lake Band of Potawatomi), Hopkins, Michigan
Cherish has been weaving since she was 12, having learned from her mother Kelly Church and other members of her extended family. Kelly and Cherish are best known for their black ash bracelets, market baskets, and strawberry baskets, but they also make checker sets, chess sets, and baby cradles. In 2004 Cherish was one of three youths awarded a Youth Fellowship for the Santa Fe Indian Market.

John Pigeon (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians), Dorr, Michigan
John Pigeon learned from his parents and grandparents how to select a black ash tree, pound it, and prepare the splints for weaving into baskets. A master weaver, his work can be found in many museums and private collections. As a teacher, he is committed to increasing understanding about his cultural heritage among non-Natives and passing on this tradition to the next generations of weavers within his own family and community.

Johnny Pigeon (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians), Dorr, Michigan
Johnny learned to weave from his father, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, and although still a young man he has become very proficient in the skills and knowledge related to weaving with black ash. He also enjoys doing public demonstrations and classes on weaving and recently served on a panel for the Emerald Ash Borer symposium sponsored by the National Museum of the American Indian.