Nunivak Basketry

Illustration: Range of Nunivak coiled baskets.

Nunivak Island is situated in the Bering Straits, just off the shore of the Alaskan mainland. The people of the island refer to themselves as Cup'ig or Nuniwarmiut. However, the basketry produced on the island is usually referred to as Nunivak.

Basketry on the island used local grasses as a convenient and plentiful supply for basket making. Natural raw materials for basketry were severely limited on an Arctic island like Nunivak, which makes the scale of accomplishment and the professionalism of the skills base of the island, extremely impressive. It is always astounding to those living in more temperate climates, of the incredible ingenuity and versatility that is part of the traditional craft skills base of those communities living within or near the Arctic Circle. With such limited resources basketry techniques reached an extremely high level of craftsmanship that rivalled those more popularly lauded examples found much further south.

Illustration: Satellite map of Nunivak Island, Alaska.

Nunivak basketry was constructed using the coiled technique, and although surface decoration did not seem of overriding importance, an interesting and more dynamic approach was used by integrating the coiled technique itself. By undulating and redirecting the layers of coiling, the basket maker was able to incorporate decoration as a permanent part of the three-dimensional experience, rather than that of surface pattern work that was either incorporated during construction, or simply added afterwards.

A range of other domestic products was also included within the scope of the local raw material of grass. These included matting and twine, which was used for a variety of wide-ranging uses. However, it is the basketry that stands out as perhaps one of the major achievements, at least within what could be seen as textile based crafts. It is always to be pointed out that textiles are not limited to wool, cotton and flax and are certainly not the sole hegemony of cultures that can weave. Basketry should always be seen within the context of textile-based crafts as it both one of the oldest of human crafts and is arguably the precursor of weaving itself.

Illustration: Nash Harbor, Nunivak Island, Alaska, 1927.

It is the finely tuned, balanced and creatively inspired construction and design process that has gone into the production of these Nunivak baskets, that makes them so appealing to contemporary tastes and aesthetics. They are such an important addition not only to the history of human basketry skills, but to those of human crafts in general. The basketry of this remote Alaskan island should be given the respect that a design icon deserves.

There is a range of resources available for anyone interested in the lifestyle, history and culture of the people of the island of Nunivak. In the reference links section below are links to the Nunivak community Facebook page. There are also two fascinating Flickr libraries of photographs documenting Nunivak's past and present. Also featured is a link to the cultural heritage site of the Cup'ig, which gives much more information past and present concerning the island itself and the people who inhabit it.

Further reading links:
Nunivak Facebook site
Historic Nunivak Flickr site
Nunivak Island Flickr site
Cup'ig Cultural Heritage site
Edward S. Curtis: The North American Indians
Eskimo Mask by Nunivak Island. Size 15.00 X 21.50 Art Poster Print
AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE OF NUNIVAK ISLAND, ALASKA
The social culture of the Nunivak Eskimo (American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia. Transactions, new series)
Nuni of Nunivak Island, A New Friend - Audio Book/CD
Eskimo Woman and Child, Nunivak, Alaska, ca. 1930 - Quality 16"x20" Photographic Print from the Library of Congress Collection
Herd of Muskoxen, Nunivak Island, Alaska, USA Photographic Poster Print by Art Wolfe, 9x12
Eskimo Childhood and Interpersonal Relationships: Nunivak Biographies and Genealogies (American Ethnological Society Publications)
A Herd of Domestic Reindeer on Nunivak Island in the Yukon Delta Artists Photographic Poster Print, 18x24
Historic Print (M): The drummer--Nunivak
Historic Print (L): Boys in a kaiak (i.e., kayak)--Nunivak

Hupa Basketry

Illustration: Traditional Hupa basket and purses.

The term Hupa basketry can be a confusing one as the term became associated with a number of distinctly individual people including the Hupa who all lived in the extreme northwest corner of what is now the state of California. The Karuk, Tolowa, Whilcut, Wiyot, Yurok and Hupa all produced basketry that was often seen as so similar by outsiders that much of it was subsequently tagged as Hupa by European American traders and collectors. The name Hupa became generally used because most of the basketry produced by the differing communities in the area was traded through the small town of Hoopa.

As with basketry the world over, local materials were paramount in the construction of Hupa basketry. Hazel, willow, conifer, pine, spruce and various grasses were used as raw materials. Coloured pattern work was also produced using locally procured ingredients for dying.

Illustration: Hupa mother with basketry hat, and child, 1924.

Basketry fuelled the practical every day domestic needs of the community. Large storage, carrying and gathering baskets tended towards the utilitarian, though decoration of this form of basketry was still often incorporated within the overall design of the piece.

Some of the basketry was so finely woven that it could be used as a cooking pot, rather than that of a clay based pot. However, this would then mean that the cooking basket couldn't be placed on the fire as a clay pot would, but instead would have hot stones placed in it in order to allow the contents to quickly boil without overly harming the basket. This was indeed a common practise by countless cultures across the planet and goes to show the age of the craft that many now believe considerably predates ceramics.

Illustration: Traditional Hupa basketry.

However, it was the largely decorative baskets, those that came to be known as trinket baskets, which really came to be widely known and associated as Hupa basketry. These baskets were traditionally given as gifts within communities, though as larger numbers started appearing within the tourist market, these specialised and finely woven baskets were to become almost exclusively a product of both the tourist and collectors market. The tourist trade was to eventually dominate basketry production and often dictated design and decoration that was foreign to indigenous communities but more in tune to that of the European American tradition.

A number of online sites both sell and display the best of Hupa basketry, some of which have been included within the reference links section below. Also included is the official Hoopa Valley Indian Tribe website where more can be found concerning the history, culture and contemporary world of the communities that go to make up the Hoopa Valley.

Further reading links:
Official Hoopa Valley Indian Tribe
Hupa Art
Hupa Basketry examples
Medicine Man Gallery
Native American Fine Art
Our Home Forever: The Hupa Indians of Northern California
Cry for Luck: Sacred Song and Speech Among the Yurok, Hupa, and Karok Indians of Northwestern California
Life and Culture of the Hupa
A Smoky Day at the Sugar Bowl - Hupa 20x30 poster
Hupa Language Dictionary
Tribes of California
Close View of the Hands of a Hupa Indian Weaving a Basket Photographic Poster Print by Dick Durrance, 36x48
California Native American Tribes Hupa Tribe (California's Native American Tribes)
Hupa Tribal Museum, In the Land of the Natinixwe (Where Rainbows Begin)
Curtis 1923 Photograph of Watching For Salmon - Hupa - Antique Photogravure Reproduction
The Phonology of the Hupa Language, Volume 5, issue 1; volume 5, issue 3
Historic Print (S): Fishing from canoe--Hupa
Historic Print (M): Hupa fisherman

Basketry of the Makah

Illustration: Examples of Makah basketry.

The Makah, or Qwiqwidicciat (people of the cape), appear to have lived and prospered on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state for the last four thousand years. While they still live in the vicinity, their tribal lands today are only a small proportion of their original homeland.

The textile crafts have always been important to the Makah with weaving, spinning and basketry being particularly important craft skills. The Makah produced clothing, blankets and rugs as well as a wide range of basketry. Although Makah basketry techniques and skills are similar to those found along large sections of the coast including Washington and British Columbia, this does not mean that very local variations in technique and finish did not exist. Indigenous people along the Northwest coastal region had a range of individual styles and pattern work that made their basketry weaving unique to their own local community.

Illustration: Map of original homeland of the Makah, along with other nations.

Cedar bark has always been one of the main materials used within Makah basketry weaving. Raw materials were collected over the spring months when the bark was more easily stripped from young cedar trees. Only the innermost bark was collected, which was then dried and stored. In the long winter months the women who were the basket weavers, produced a range of basketry for domestic use.

Although cedar bark has always been considered the most common aspect of Makah basketry, it was by no means the only material used. Other forms of bark, roots and grasses were incorporated into the weave. The nature of the material would depend on the use that was to be made of the finished basket.

Illustration: Makah basket weavers, 1910.

Pattern and decoration have always been important elements of Makah basketry and these have been regularly incorporated into the weave as both simple geometrical to more representational elements such as birds and fish.

As with many cultures, baskets were used for all aspects of domestic life. Whale hunting has always been a central theme of the Makah and heavy-duty baskets were commonly used, being brought to the beach to carry whale meat and oil after a successful hunt. However, baskets came in a many forms and were made specifically for tasks such as gathering, storing and indeed the tourist trade.

Illustration: Makah large carrying basket, 1910.

Basketry is still being produced by the Makah, but obviously not to the extent that it once was. A couple of websites have been listed below where a selection of Makah basketry can be seen and some of which can be purchased. Also listed is the official Makah nation website where much more information can be found concerning the long history and culture of the Makah. There is also a list of interesting books dealing with a number of aspects of the Makah.

Illustration: Makah large carrying basket, 1910.

Further reading links:
Makah nation official website
Makah Cultural & Research Center Online Museum
Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture - Makah Baskets
Gwens Native Collectibles - Makah Basketry
Clamshell Boy: A Makah Legend
Voices of a Thousand People: The Makah Cultural and Research Center
nhe Makah Indians: A Study of an Indian Tribe in Modern American Society
Since the Time of the Transformers: The Ancient Heritage of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth, Ditidaht, and Makah (Pacific Rim Archaeology)
Singing the Songs of My Ancestors: The Life and Music of Helma Swan, Makah Elder (Civilization of the American Indian Series)
Tradition and Change on the Northwest Coast: The Makah, Nuu-Chah-Nulth, Southern Kwakiutl, and Nuxalk
The Makah (Indian Nations Series)
Drawing Back Culture: The Makah Tribe's Struggle for Repatriation (A McLellan Book)
The Makah (Watts Library)
How The Makah Obtained Possession Of Cape Flattery (Kessinger Publishing's Rare Reprints)
The Whaling Equipment of the Makah Indians
Portrait in time: Photographs of the Makah by Samuel G. Morse, 1896-1903

Quinault Basktery

Illustration: Variety of Quinault basketry.

The Quinault have always lived on the Olympic Peninsula in what is now present day Washington State. The Quinault used basketry throughout their culture for a variety of domestic uses from cooking, storage and gathering, to even costume as can be seen in the two photographs showing a woman wearing a woven hat.

Quinault basket weavers used a wide variety of locally sourced and renewable materials including grasses, seaweed and cedar bark. They wove an extremely diverse number of baskets of differing shapes and sizes.

With the coming of European Americans, traditional forms of basketry inevitably began to decline. With the introduction of metal based cooking pots, kettles and a host of other domestic items, the need for traditional basketry skills were not seen as being as vital to survival as they once had been.

Illustration: Quinault woman with traditional woven hat, 1913.

However, ironically, basketry while in decline amongst indigenous people was becoming popular amongst European Americans, many of whom were building up large and specific private and public collections of indigenous basketry examples. This new market allowed traditional basket weavers to spend less time focusing on the practical qualities and perceived limitations of wholly domestic basketry and more time on the creative aspects of their work. This inevitably led to a number of indigenous basket makers producing work that was much more sculptural and decorative in theme, than it was useful.

The Quinault were enthusiastic basket weavers and produced work both for their own domestic market, but also for the European American collectors market as well. There was a certain amount of dual purpose weaving, with decorative pattern work in particular being used in traditional domestic weaving, but much more vociferously for the European American market as it was commonly thought that decorative basketry work seemed more indigenous than any of the real traditions.

Illustration: Quinault woman with traditional woven hat, 1913.

To be fair, although in many cases this was true, a number of European American collectors of the purist strain, were well aware that a percentage of indigenous basketry was being doctored for the market. Some collectors were keen procurers of specifically authentic basketry, the older the better. There are a number of fine collections across the US of traditional basketry untainted by contemporary moods in the marketplace. Today they are seen as valuable libraries of the complex skills base of generations of indigenous basketry weavers.

This is not to say that Quinault basketry, for example, produced specifically for the European American perceived taste, was inconsequential. There were fine examples of Quinault basketry work produced throughout the twentieth century, though it must be remembered that much of the work was not necessarily produced with the practical requirements of everyday living in mind. There was also an element of borrowed techniques and styles from other cultures in order to cater for the market.

The power of the consumer market is a double-edged sword. It allows craft skills to find a truly commercial outlet and often much needed financial and economic help. It can also help to develop new and exciting creative possibilities for the individual maker. However, it is also ruthless in its demands, often forcing makers trained in traditional based creative skills, to drastically transform their work and use of materials in order to suit the market. There are many examples around the globe of craft skills that have been irrevocably altered in order to appeal to the commercial market, basketry is one case.

Further reading links:
Quinault Indian Nation website
Olympic Peninsula Community Museum
Land of the Quinault
Basketry of the Quinault
The Art of Native American Basketry: A Living Legacy (Contributions to the Study of Anthropology)
American Indian Basketry [Two Volumes Bound as One, With 460 Illustrations]
Native American Basketry
Native North American Art (Oxford History of Art)
Native Basketry of Western North American: The Condell Collection of the Illinois State Museum (Handbook of Collections Series : No 3)