146 COILED BASKETRY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA [ETH. ANN. 41 
these. The wood is nearly always used in a dry state; but sapwood 
is often taken when quite green. Rather recently the rattan binding 
which comes fastened around Chinese packages of rice has also been 
utilized. 
For the surface decoration, since a much more pliable material is 
needed than can be secured from the tough roots, even when they 
are split into fine thin strips, the Indians gather grasses and the bark 
of the cherry and birch. Reed (Phragmites phragmites) grows 
more abundantly in the lower Fraser country, from which the Thomp- 
son import it in large quantities. It is commonly used, as it stands 
in high repute for its white color and because it takes dye well; but 
when not obtainable, grasses of a more yellow tinge are accepted, and 
even some of a slightly purplish hue. Bark is usually second choice, 
although that of the cherry is applied for purposes of imbrication in 
red nearly as often as grasses... According to Mason ® Typha lati- 
folia, Phragmites phragmites, and Scirpus lacustris are the principal 
basketry materials of the Klamath and Modoc. Cherry and birch 
bark are not given in his list of materials as being used by any of the 
tribes. It seems that squaw grass (Xerophyllum douglasii Walpers) 
is not used by the Thompson Indians and it probably does not 
grow in their country nor in that of their near neighbors, but it 
was employed occasionally for imbricating by the Coeur d’Aléne.” 
For children’s toys the mothers make miniature baskets im- 
bricated with colored straw and decorated with beads, shells, dyed 
grass, hair, quills, or feathers which are attached to the outer surface 
by tying. None of the flexible ornaments are caught in with the 
stitches as in the Pomo baskets from California. 
The Salish tribes confine themselves to a very few colors. Red 
and black are seldom replaced by yellow or purple, the patterns or 
designs being practically always worked in one of the first two colors. 
They are never used for the background, however, which is always 
white, light yellow, or purple, as the case may be, when the surface is 
imbricated. The purple grass called tluxka is used extensively only 
by the Upper Thompson tribe, most of the people objecting to it 
because it is very difficult to obtain enough of one shade to cover 
more than a small surface, and uniformity in this respect is the aim 
of the expert basketmaker.’* In the course of time the purple 
changes greatly in hue, and not always evenly, hence it is confined to 
small fine baskets or to designs which are made up of lesser elements. 
8 Prunus emarginata is selected because of its light color, smoothness and gloss. Together with Prunus 
demissa, it grows quite abundantly all over the Thompson country, so that very little is imported. 
®0.T. Mason. Aboriginal American Basketry, pp. 208 et seq. 
10 The Coeur d’Al@ne used willow bark in addition to the others.and also for imbrication availed them 
selves of grasses dyed brown and yellow as well as black and red. Therush, or bulrush, and likewise tule 
were sometimes employed for coil foundation and sewing material, but seldom when any cedar roots could 
be found. 
10a See, however, remarks above on this page. 
