The Pima people traditionally lived along the Gila and Salt rivers in Arizona. They were known to be sedentary farmers who made use of the nearby rivers and irrigation techniques.

Pima basket-making is a long and arduous process with materials that must be collected at certain times of the year and prepared by splitting, trimming and shaving to the right thickness, then soaked in water to allow them to bend properly. They often used willow shoots, cattails, and devil's claw.