220 REPOKT OF ISTATIONAL MUSEUM, 1902. 



When Attn weavers wanted the grass to be white it was cut in 

 November, the whole stalk (wild rye), and hung points down out oi' 

 doors to dry. It" grass was to be yellow, the common color, it is cut 

 in the middle of July, and the two youngest blades that are full grown 

 are then cut out and split into three pieces, the middle one being 

 thrown away. The other pieces are then tied into bunches about '1 

 inches in diameter and hung up to dry out of doors (points down). If 

 the grass is to be cured green it is prepared as when it is wanted to 

 be yellow, but the tirst two weeks of the curing is carried on in the 

 shade of the dense growth of grass and weeds that is found in the 

 villages. After that it is taken out and dried in the house. Under no 

 circumstances is the sun allowed to shine on any of the grass in the 

 process of curing, which takes about a month or more. 



Beautiful coiled basketry is made by the Chilcotin, Harrison Lake, 

 Lower Thompson Indians in British Columbia, Salish on the coast, 

 as well as Klikitat and Tulalip in Washington. Onl}^ women and girls 

 occupy themselves with this work. The baskets are made from the 

 small, trailing roots of the cedar {Thuja 2)1 icata). These are dug up 

 with an ordinary root digger, and pieces of the desired length and of 

 about the thickness of a finger are cut off. These are buried in the 

 ground to keep them fresh. When recjuired they are taken out and 

 peeled or scraped with a sharp stone or knife. They are then hung 

 up until dr}" enough for use. Next the}' are split into long strips by 

 inserting and pressing forward the point of the awl used in basket 

 making, made from the long bone of a deer. The pieces which have 

 the desired width and thickness throughout their entire length are 

 used for stitching purposes, while others which split irregularly, or 

 are too short or too thin to be used for that purpose, are put together 

 in bundles to form the foundation of the coils. In the sewing these 

 foundations are kept continuous and of uniform thickness bv adding 

 fresh pieces as required. (See Plate 11,) 



In other basketry, thin, pliable strips of cedar sap or other wood in 

 pairs, having both smooth sides out, are used for foundation instead 

 of the bunches of split roots. These are stitched in the same manner, 

 but are neither as strong nor as durable nor are the}" water-tight," 



The Upper Eraser and the Lytton bands sometimes use Elymus 

 triticoides instead of Xeropliyllmti. The bark used is that of Primus 

 demism., which is either left its natural light reddish-brown color or 

 is dyed b}^ burying it in damj:) earth, B}- thus keeping it under 

 ground for a short time it assumes a dark-brown color; if kept longer 

 it becomes quite black, (Teit,) 



The Makah Indians make a red color by mixing vermilion with 

 chewed salmon eggs; black color is a combination of bituminous coal 



« James Teit, The Thompson Indians of British Columbia, Memoirs of the Ameri- 

 can Museum of Natural History, II, Pt. 4, 1900, pp. 163-392, 



