KCSSELL] 



ARTIFACTS 



141 



placed it in a horizontal position on the top of the heap of mesquite 

 wood; as it was, her load weijjhed nearly lUO pounds, yet she knelt 

 down, engaged her head inider the carrvinu; strap, and struggled to 

 her feet without assistance (r). The method of iniloading is shown 

 in d, where, hy bending forward, the entire burden is thrown off 

 clear of the head. Figure 65 illustrates the manner in which a kiidia 

 net is mended. 



As the kiaha is distinctively a woman's utensil, so is it closely 

 associated with her life history. The young girls of 8 or 10 begin to 

 use small kiahas made especially for them or that have 

 been cut down from old ones. The_v learn the methods 

 of loading so that the burden may be stable and of 

 proper bulk, they acfjuire the necessary nerve and muscle 

 coordinations that enable them in later years to lift 

 loads weighing more than do they themselves, they 

 become inured to the fatigue of long journej's, and they 

 learn to preserve their kiilhas with care from rain. The 

 maiden must have long and gaily-spotted frame sticks 

 at the front of her kiaha, which are wound with long 

 hair cords. She uses a helping stick that is orna- 

 mented mth a long deerskin fringe pendent from the 

 binding at the crotched end (fig. 64). As she walks 

 along wdth the sharpened end of the stick thrust into 

 the load the fringe hangs above and forward of her 

 head, swinging at every step or fluttering with every 

 breeze. It is indeed a conspicuous object, and it is not 

 surprising that it should have caught the attention of 

 ever}' passing traveler, whose illustrations of it are 

 uniformly bad." 



As the age of the o\vner advances she becomes care- 

 less of the appearance of her kiaha, the spots on the 

 frame are less frec[uently renewed, the cordage grows 

 sliort and worn, and the foresticks of the frame are cut 

 down in length. However, her burdens do not diminish, 

 and the woman here photographed, though her age 

 exceeds the scriptural allotment, is yet able to carry more tlian lUU 

 pounds at a load. 



The kiaha is of entirely different materials from the ordinary Pima 

 baskets. Wood is used for tiio four frame sticks, two at llie fi'ont 

 and two at the rear. Saguaro ribs are invariabl}' used for tlie pur- 

 pose, as they are very light, .symmetrical, straight, and sufficiently 

 strong. The hoop is a double band of wiUow. 



<i"They are highly prized by their owners, as they are very useful to them, and are m,-ide with 

 much labor. For the only specimen I could obtain 1 was obliged to give goods to the value of SIO." 

 Bartlett, Personal Narrative, u, 236. 



Fig. 04. Helping 

 stick. 



