Historic Hood River
Basket Makers of the White Salmon Tribe
3-12-2014
Notes
This is the only Native American image from the Samuel Blythe collection with an inscription on it. On the reverse, in faded ink, it says, “Indian Basket Makers of the White Salmon Tribe.”
charlott
Basket making was quite the art. I so wish that we knew who these two kloochmen were. You can tell by the hands on the one on the right that she had worked hard all her life.
Wonder how much chick-a-mun one of those sitting there would be worth?
Would be interesting to know what she is pointing at, wouldn’t it?
l.e.
I can hear them talking. Slowly, but very articulate.
He/she is telling about something that happened.
Not so sure but what that isn’t a man talking.
The Yakamas have a high rate of rheumatoid arthritis. That is possibly what afflicts her hands. Or maybe just regular old painful arthritis from so much use.
l.e.
Can anyone tell what is lying on the blanket by the basket?
One reason I think the one talking is a man, is because of the necklace. Seems like men wore those more than women.
There is no evidence they are making the baskets, so are they selling them?
Charlott
I wondered myself about that one possibly being a man, also. They could have been selling them, but guess we will never know.
Arlen Sheldrake
I have appreciated these photos this week but wonder if others have the same memories that I do. All week I have exercised what brain cells I have left trying to remember any images of Native Americans in HR while I was growing up and have come up empty. Yes, saw some when visiting The Dalles and lots fishing up river at Celelio but not in HR. Maybe I just didn’t "see" them or did we exclude them also?……My HR era: 1941-1960
l.e.
Arlen…I have always thought HR lacked the Native American population that reside in other Gorge towns.
One possibility is, maybe the HR area never was as much of a permanent residence along the river as other communities.
If indeed the person on the left is a man….one of the things Lewis and Clark noted about the Indian population in this area is that the men in this area shared more work responsibilities with the women. That was different from previous tribes along the trek. They also tended to be more monogamous in this area.
l.e.
There is a wonderful little book published called "The Heritage of Klickitat Basketry" A History and Art Preserved. by Nettie Kuneki, Elsie Thomas and Marie Slockish. Published by the Oregon Historical Society.
Does the HR museum have it?
It describes the gathering of red cedar roots and bear grass by the Klickitat Tribe women, which took in the White Salmon/Mt Adams and part of Hood River area.
It shows baskets with much more design than what the two in this photo have.
Ginger
Those are klickitat baskets, used for huckleberry picking. I believe these are both ladies as both are wearing dresses.