BIRCHBARK
Various Tribes
Case No. 8:
Many items are made from birch-bark by the Indians in areas where the birch tree grows in abundance. Like many other cultures, the Indian used objects for daily use which required the least effort to make. Birch-bark lends itself readily to easy construction.
Shown here are many forms of birch-bark construction: boxes, buckets, creels, trays, etc.
[Plate 3d]: Algonquin fishing creel [Plate 7c]: Algonquin canoe box [Plate 7d]: Chippewa storage box [Plate 8c]: Chippewa wild rice gathering tray
SQUASH BLOSSOM
Pima—Arizona
Case No. 7:
The decorative motif of these baskets is actually thought of by the Pima weaver as a “progressive design,” rather than that of a squash blossom. The design is executed in sequences of three to twelve petals, one of a sequence to each basket. Only two complete sets (ten baskets to a set) are known to exist. They are no longer made.
These baskets were used for such things as winnowing grain and gathering fruit and vegetables. (See [Plate 9b])