This tribe called Gadaba is indigenous and mainly located within the Malkangiri district of Odisha and in certain segments of Andhra Pradesh. The tribe is famous for creating custom designs and weaving baskets. A few among them include flat bamboo splits-baskets made simply yet with intricate designs for all daily purposes: gathering food, storing away, and ritual practice. The flat bamboo splits basket has a broad, shallow basin, and is made from strips of bamboo, flattened and split into baskets of sturdy yet slightly weight-lifting structure. A circular opening balances the squarish base with four prominent corners, giving a delightful geometric touch. The entire construction allows it to have a good weight-bearing surface and a certain elasticity in design. Strengthened at all the four corners, flat bamboo-split baskets can easily accommodate loads of heavier grains, fruits, and firewood.
For centuries, this basket has been in use in the Gadaba tribe for mundane works of daily life, especially agriculture and harvesting. Interviewees expounded that the association of the tribe to nature and their ingenious approach in terms of harvesting the materials for basketry is reflected in beautiful weaving practiced now for generations. The exquisiteness of the basket-making skill encompasses more than that of utility; it also speaks volume about the cultural traditions of the tribe and their ability to produce beautiful-looking and functional things. An exemplary manifestation of the flat bamboo splits basket is a tribute to the Gadaba Tribe's sustainable way of making things that surround such precise knowledge of the natural world and artistic traditions