ABORIGINAL USE OF WOOD IN NEW YORK 1 65 



Some Indian tribes still use long bone awls in making baskets. 

 These are the large ones, retaining the joint at one end; and it is 

 probable that the early Iroquois used these in weaving mats and the 

 finer baskets. Professor Mason adds : 



Twined weaving was common throughout the Middle and Eastern 

 states of the Union in prehistoric times. Fabrics of this class were 

 employed by the ancient potters in nearly all of the states. Every 

 variety of twined weaving known to the modern Indian was prac- 

 tised by the old time people — the mound builders especially. 



The burden or basket strap is more characteristic and was indis- 

 pensable at an early day, though now becoming quite rare. Mr 

 Morgan gave a good figure of this, with its Seneca name of gus- 

 ha'-ah, in Onondaga, kas'-ah. His remarks on this are quoted: 



The burden strap is worn around the forehead and lashed to a 

 litter, which is borne by Indian women on the back. It is usually 

 about 15 feet in length, and braided into a belt in the center, 3 or 4 

 inches wide. Some of them are entirely covered upon one side with 

 porcupine quill work. . . The braiding or knitting of the bark 

 threads is effected with a single needle of hickory. In other speci- 

 mens, the quill work is sprinkled all over the belt for ornament, the 

 quills in all cases being of divers colors. Morgan, 2 : 16 



The foundation was of elm bark twine, but wild hemp was often 

 used. He had one made by an Onondaga in Canada, adorned with 

 colored moose hair, woven in regular patterns on the upper surface 

 of the strap. White, red, blue and yellow were used. This was 

 called o-a-ta-ose-ka. Elk and deer hafirs were also used. For wider 

 illustration, the writer figures some Onondaga examples which are 

 not so long or handsome. 



Figure 122 shows most of the ornamented part of one. The 

 ground is black, tapering both ways into the narrower and long 

 extremities. These look like buckskin, but are of elm bark. The 

 beads on the edge are white. The first diamond on the left is white 

 with a green center ; the other white with a red center. The sloping 

 bar is of white, red, green, red and white lines. The straight bars 

 are of white, red, green, red and white lines also. Another strap 

 had geometric patterns of red, white and blue, running lengthwise, 

 and was more elaborate. They are often perfectly plain. Figure 



