Bob Anderson is a Penobscot Indian of midcoast Maine. He comes from a long line of people who have used their entrepenurial acumen to survive during tough economic times. Anderson grew up on the Old Town Indian Reservation where he learned how to gather materials for baskets and make baskets along with the rest of the community. Eventually he collected and sold baskets, as his parents and grandparents had.
Although they had to become salesmen to survive, his family boasted activists–his aunt was responsible for obtaining voting rights for Penobscots in Maine.
I met Bob when he was 82 and was just recovering from a stroke. He was humorous, direct, and practical when I interviewed him for this brief video which explores stereotypes about Native Americans.
Baskets from Pamela Y. Taylor on Vimeo
I put together this very short story in 4 intense days at the Maine Media Workshops under the expert instruction of Bruce Strong.