﻿Vol.2] 
  TRIBES 
  OF 
  SIERRA 
  NEVADA 
  — 
  PARK 
  881 
  

  

  Textiles. 
  — 
  Cotton 
  and 
  agave 
  provide 
  the 
  principal 
  textile 
  fibers 
  

   (pi. 
  180, 
  top). 
  Since 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  sheep, 
  some 
  wool 
  is 
  used 
  

   in 
  making 
  mochilas 
  but 
  not 
  clothing. 
  

  

  Men 
  spin 
  the 
  cotton 
  yarn 
  with 
  a 
  simple 
  spindle 
  with 
  a 
  stone 
  or 
  

   clay 
  whorl. 
  This 
  work 
  is 
  done 
  in 
  the 
  temple. 
  Men 
  also 
  weave 
  the 
  

   cloth 
  on 
  a 
  large 
  upright 
  loom. 
  (See 
  Bolinder, 
  1925, 
  pis. 
  23, 
  29, 
  33.) 
  

   Some 
  yarn 
  is 
  dyed 
  a 
  deep 
  purple 
  with 
  vegetable 
  dye 
  and 
  used 
  to 
  border 
  

   the 
  cloth 
  that 
  is 
  made 
  into 
  clothing 
  for 
  both 
  men 
  and 
  women. 
  Men 
  

   also 
  spin 
  the 
  cotton 
  yarn 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  women 
  in 
  making 
  mochilas. 
  

  

  The 
  women 
  sew 
  the 
  mochilas 
  (Cdgaba: 
  gama) 
  with 
  agave 
  fiber 
  or 
  

   cotton. 
  Formerly, 
  needles 
  made 
  from 
  wood 
  of 
  the 
  macana 
  tree 
  were 
  

   used, 
  but 
  now 
  these 
  have 
  been 
  replaced 
  by 
  large 
  steel 
  needles 
  ob- 
  

   tained 
  from 
  the 
  traders. 
  Yarn 
  for 
  the 
  cotton 
  mochilas 
  with 
  geo- 
  

   metric 
  designs 
  is 
  bought 
  already 
  dyed 
  from 
  traders. 
  For 
  other 
  

   mochilas, 
  cotton 
  and 
  agave 
  fiber 
  are 
  treated 
  with 
  vegetable 
  dyes. 
  

  

  Women 
  spin 
  the 
  agave 
  string 
  for 
  mochilas 
  and 
  cordage. 
  For 
  this 
  

   purpose 
  a 
  bow-driven 
  spindle, 
  the 
  carumba, 
  is 
  used. 
  This 
  spindle 
  has 
  

   a 
  large 
  wooden 
  disk 
  for 
  a 
  whorl 
  (Bolinder, 
  1925, 
  p. 
  69, 
  pi. 
  22, 
  No. 
  4; 
  

   Brettes, 
  1903, 
  fig. 
  40). 
  A 
  knotless 
  netting 
  technique 
  is 
  employed 
  in 
  

   sewing 
  all 
  mochilas 
  regardless 
  of 
  the 
  size, 
  material, 
  or 
  texture 
  (Bol- 
  

   inder, 
  1925, 
  pi. 
  29). 
  Women 
  make 
  mochilas 
  whenever 
  their 
  hands 
  

   are 
  not 
  engaged 
  in 
  other 
  activities. 
  Frequently, 
  they 
  are 
  seen 
  walking 
  

   rapidly 
  along 
  the 
  trails 
  carrying 
  heavy 
  burdens 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  

   working 
  on 
  a 
  mochila. 
  

  

  Skin 
  work. 
  — 
  The 
  lea 
  use 
  skins 
  somewhat 
  more 
  than 
  other 
  tribes 
  of 
  

   the 
  Sierra 
  Nevada, 
  but 
  work 
  in 
  this 
  material 
  is 
  unimportant 
  through- 
  

   out 
  the 
  mountain 
  regions 
  (Bolinder, 
  1925, 
  p. 
  63). 
  Tanning 
  is 
  unknown. 
  

  

  Ceramics. 
  — 
  Some 
  pottery 
  is 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  Cdgaba 
  and 
  lea, 
  but 
  among 
  

   the 
  latter 
  the 
  art 
  has 
  largely 
  disappeared. 
  For 
  the 
  most 
  part, 
  the 
  ware 
  

   is 
  simple, 
  undecorated, 
  and 
  without 
  a 
  glaze. 
  Among 
  the 
  Cdgaba, 
  men 
  

   make 
  the 
  pottery 
  in 
  the 
  temple 
  and 
  fire 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  hillside 
  with 
  wood. 
  

   Vessels 
  are 
  used 
  for 
  cooking, 
  to 
  ferment 
  the 
  alcoholic 
  beverage, 
  and 
  to 
  

   toast 
  coca 
  leaves. 
  Large 
  iron 
  pots 
  are 
  used 
  to 
  boil 
  the 
  sugarcane 
  juice 
  

   for 
  panela. 
  Only 
  the 
  lea 
  priests 
  make 
  pottery, 
  and 
  the 
  vessels 
  are 
  

   used 
  exclusively 
  in 
  religious 
  ceremonies 
  (Bolinder, 
  1925, 
  p. 
  65). 
  

  

  Gourds. 
  — 
  Gourds 
  are 
  used 
  as 
  water 
  jugs 
  and 
  as 
  food 
  bowls. 
  Gourd 
  

   vessels 
  are 
  usually 
  undecorated, 
  but 
  occasionally 
  crude 
  geometric 
  

   designs 
  are 
  incised 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  surface. 
  Small 
  gourds 
  are 
  used 
  as 
  

   lime 
  containers 
  (poporo) 
  (pi. 
  181, 
  top, 
  left) 
  and 
  tobacco 
  receptacles 
  

   (ambil), 
  but 
  these 
  are 
  not 
  decorated. 
  

  

  Woodwork. 
  — 
  Little 
  work 
  in 
  wood 
  is 
  evident 
  in 
  modern 
  times. 
  

   Shovel-shaped 
  scrapers 
  for 
  cleaning 
  agave 
  fibers, 
  weaving 
  implements, 
  

   combs, 
  and 
  bows 
  are 
  made 
  from 
  the 
  highly 
  prized 
  macana 
  wood. 
  

   Drums, 
  fermenting 
  vessels, 
  platters, 
  and 
  spoons 
  are 
  also 
  made 
  of 
  wood. 
  

  

  Fire 
  making. 
  — 
  Fire 
  is 
  made 
  infrequently; 
  a 
  simple 
  drill 
  and 
  hearth 
  

  

  