USE OF BASKETS

BASKET MAKING IS AND WAS A VERY INTRICATE ART OF DEVELOPING ONE'S SELF EXPRESSION. A WOMAN'S PLACE MIGHT BE DETERMINED BY HOW WELL SHE MADE BASKETS. THEY STARTED LEARNING HOW TO MAKE BASKETS BY THE AGE OF FOUR. WOMEN'S GATHERING OF ROOTS AND SEEDS WAS A WAY FOR THEM TO CONNECT TO THE EARTH. THEY TENDED TO TAKE CUTTINGS AND ROOTS FROM THE SAME PLACES THROUGH DIFFERENT GENERATIONS. EVEN OLDER WOMEN WHO WERE BLIND COULD HAVE GOOD LOOKING BASKETS. KROEBER CALLED BASKET MAKING THE MOST DEVELOPED ART OF NATIVE PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA. NATIVE BASKETS WERE MADE BEAUTIFUL BY TENDING THEIR PLANTS THAT WERE TO BECOME THE BASKET. MANY NON-INDIAN BASKET COLLECTOR'S WERE UNAWARE OF ALL THE TIME INVOLVED IN PRUNING AND CARING FOR THEIR PLANTS, AS WELL AS SPLITTING, TRIMMING, AND SIZING THE FIBERS.

ACORN MUSH BASKETS

SOME TRIBES USED DEERGRASS STALKS FOR MAKING THESE BASKETS - THEIR STALKS TENDED TO EXPAND WITH HOT LIQUID, AND IT ADDED TO FLAVOR TO THE MUSH. ONE BASKET WOVEN BY THE MONO TOOK 3700 STALKS OF DEERGRASS!

THE POMO USE WILLOW AND SEDGE BASKETS LINED WITH PINE PITCH FOR THEIR ACORN MUSH SOUP.

BABY BASKETS

THE POMO MEN MADE BABY CARRYING BASKETS BY TWINING WILLOW. THEY WERE ABOUT 3 FEET LONG BY 1 1/2 FEET WIDE. THEY DECORATED THEM WITH FEATHERS AND ABALONE SHELLS. THE WOMEN CARRIED THEIR BABIES ON THEIR BACKS SO AS TO BE FREE TO COLLECT SEEDS AND GATHER FRUITS.

MONO BABY BASKETS WERE MADE FROM SUMAC (RHUS TRILOBATA) AND CEONOTHUS.

COOKING BASKETS

MONO USED CERCIS ORBICULATA FOR THEIR COILED BASKETS.
POMO COILED THEIR BEAUTIFUL COOKING BASKETS FROM WILLOW SHOOTS AND REDBUD ROOTS.

SEED BEATERS ABD SEED COLLECTION BASKETS

MONO USED CEONOTHUS AND C.UNEATUS FOR SEED BEATERS. THE POMO USED WILLOW AND SEDGE ROOT TO COLLECT TARWEED AND OTHER SMALL GRASS SEEDS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

WINNOWING BASKETS

NATIVES USED TIGHTLY WOVEN WINNOWING BASKETS TO PARCH SMALL SEEDS AND GRASSES WITH HOT STONES AND COALS TO ENHANCE THEIR FLAVOR. THE POMO MADE PINOLE OUT OF A MIXTURE OF PARCHED AND WINNOWED BUTTERCUP, TARWEED, CHIA, AND GRASS SEEDS.

THE MONO USED A TWINED SIFTER MADE FROM SUMAC AND CERCIS ORBICULATA.

BURDEN BASKETS

MOST TRIBES MADE BURDEN BASKETS IN ORDER TO CARRY MANY ITEMS FROM DISTANT AREAS BACK TO THEIR VILLAGES. IN THE POMO TRIBES THE BASKETS WERE MADE FROM SEDGE ROOT, REDBUD ROOT, AND WILLOW AND WERE CARRIED ON THEIR BACKS BY USING A TRUMP LINE OF LEATHER ACROSS THEIR FOREHEAD. MOST TRIBES USED SIMILAR BURDEN BASKETS.

THE MONO USE BUCK BRUSH, REDBUD AND SOURBERRY FOR THESE BASKETS.

CEREMONIAL BASKETS
THE POMO MADE VARIOUS SIZES OF CEREMONIAL BASKETS, INCLUDING MINIATURE ONE ABOUT ONE INCH IN SIZE; OTHERS WERE ABOUT A FOOT IN DIAMETER MADE OF WILLOW, REDBUD, AND SEDGE ROOT AND HAD BEEN INTERWOVEN WITH HUNDREDS OF TINY BIRD FEATHERS. THE BIRDS INCLUDED QUAIL, FLICKERS, PILEATED WOODPECKERS, AND LARKS. THEY WERE SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST ELABORATE BASKETS AND MANY ARE IN THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM. THEY WERE PASSED AS GIFTS FOR BIRTHS, WEDDINGS, AND FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS. MANY OF THESE WERE BURNED DURING A CREMATION. THEY DID NOT CONSIDER KEEPING OBJECTS FOR WEALTH.

OTHER TRIBES IN CALIFORNIA ALSO MADE CEREMONIAL BASKETS FROM VARIOUS REEDS AND WERE DECORATED WITH DIFFERENT COLORS OF REEDS BUT THEY DID NOT USE BIRD FEATHERS.



KAT ANDERSON