ABORIGINAL AMJ:KICAN BASKETllY. 217 



h;is IxMMi d(>vol<)])(Ml most. Little incchiuiism is jiccossiirv in tliis part 

 of the world. .V sliai'])('ii('(l stici; for tlic root uatlicrcr and a tliiil 

 knife and iiuissci shed! for the stem liai'\'t'slei- coiuplcti' the oiitlit. 

 Mind)li' tinu'crs aided with the teeth wei-e the most usi^ful apparatus. 



In her textih' li-lciining', the sava»>'e woman has not been sh)\v to 

 a\aii herscdt' of the metal appliances introduced hy the whites. Von 

 will now see her atield with pick and knife of steid o'atluM'inu' the old- 

 time substances. 



PRKPARIN( i MATERIA J.S 



As is W(dl known, e\'ery industr\- may be divided, eithei- in saxau'ery 

 or in <'ivilization. into four parts: First, that which is associated with 

 takino- the oifts of nature, called in this particular instanc(> harvivstinu-; 

 second, the transformation of this material into })roper form for special 

 ti-ades: third, the mamifactiire of useful and ornamental objects; and. 

 tinall}'. the activities of consumption and enjovment, by which th(> 

 thing-.s may take their places as servants to supply the wants and 

 desires of mankind. 



The preparation of materials for basketry consists in splittino- and 

 separating- the desirable from the undesiralile portions; in removing 

 the bark; in taking the soft and spongy mattcM' from the fibrous por- 

 tion, like soaking- and hackling- in Hax; in making ribt>on-like splints 

 of uniform width and thickness; in shredding, as in cedai- bark; in 

 twisting, twining, and braiding; in gauging, and coloring. 



The apparatus for this intermediate work must have l)een in abo- 

 riginal times very simple, a stone knife and shell for scraping supple- 

 menting the work of the lingers and the teeth. The <piality of the 

 finished workmanship depends largel}" upon this secondary process. 

 In those regions of very uniform moisture the plants used were of 

 quick growth and pliable, and it would be easy, even without metal 

 tools, to secure fine splints and other elements in tlie maiuifacture; 

 but in those localities where the raw substances were more brittle, 

 fine work would be difficult and indeed was impossible until tpiite 

 recently. It is a question, therefore, wdiether anciently some of the 

 modern processes in basketry were known at all. Certaiidy there was 

 no sucli delicate basketry made in Canada by the imtaught al)origines 

 as can now be procured from tluur descendants; but in the old graves 

 of Califoi'nia and the adjoining areas wonderful piec(\s of delicate 

 workmanshi}) are brought from ancient pre-Columbian t<)ml)>. 



It nuist not be forgotten that coloring matters wer<> in ancient times 

 among the prepared materials of basketry. Nature furnishes oppor- 

 tunities for diversity of color in the substances themselves. The Indian 

 also knew how to change or modify the natural color of difiierent 

 materials by burying- them in mud. The juices of the plants and the 

 mineral substances in the nuid combined to produce darker shades of 



