Indian Basket Work About Puget Sound [pp. 406-411]

INDIAN BASKET WORK ABOUT PUGET SOUND 407
and the decorative scheme has degenerated Since the utilitarian but inartistic pot,
to a degree snch as fits it only for the corn- pan, pail, basket, and what-not, of the
mercial collector of hodge-podge. Most white man have become so accessible, and
of the Indian basket work that reaches the since basket work is so exceedingly slow,
East is a degenerate product born of the tedions, difficult, laborious, and so very bard
modern commercial spirit, and can never upon the hands of the weaver, it has come
hope to match the purer forms of aborig- about that the women of the tribes seldom
inal days, or even some types yet to be teach the younger generation how to fashfound in the far West, particularly where ion those domestic utensils with which they
civilization has touched the red man with a themselves were so familiar in the days of
lightsome touch indeed. their youth. Therefore skilled weavers are
In the olden days the making of basket by no means so common as of yore, when it
work was an important industry with the was as much the woman's duty to provide
aborigine. The Indian belle was in full the articles for household use and cookery
dress when partly encompassed by a short as it was the man's duty to provide the
skirt of cedar bark, reaching from the waist game and spoil to fill them. Many of the
midway to the knees, and her raven tresses most skillful of these old female artisans
SKAGIT AND 5NOllOMTSll 5A~KETRY
topped by a conical head-dress of her best are either long since dead or else they are
basket work. In those days a brave esti- tottering feebly towards the grave, yet,
mated his wealth in horses, canoes, and like Lot's wife, their eyes are turned longbasketry, and if he could count among his ingly to the past.
women, $wives, or daughters, any skilled The rising generations are being taught
basket weavers they were potential sources new arts, the arts of peace, in the schools
of wealth. If by chance a young woman which a generous government freely maingained a reputation for unusual skill in such tains for their advancement. Still, diligent
work, she was courted as assiduously as search among the haunts and homes of the
ever American heiress is courted nowadays old copperheads and the more unregenerate
by impecunious scions of European aristoc- of the race will reveal them clinging tenaracy. In many cases particularly fine or ciously to their old customs. They are like
valuable samples of basket work have be- dying men clutching at straws, struggling
come family heirlooms and have been handed stoutly to withstand the inroads of the
down from generation to generation, and no white man, physically, spiritually, morally,
amount of money will induce the possessor and technically, and yet feeling themselves
to part with his treasure. slowly and inevitably engulfed by civiliza