The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-06
INDIAN CUKIos 70. THE FAIR.
An Interesting Collection Illustrating
Aboriginal Life on WilIapa Bay.

1
collection of Indian curiosities which has
| been made under the direction Of Mr..
| Franz Boaz. first assistant to F. w. Put
| nam, chief of the chronological department
| at the Worlds fair. and who was here and
| studied the habits. customs and language
| Of the Shoalwater bay Indians year ago
last summer, has been completed, and will
be shipped at once. It is a strange and
interesting collection, illustrating as it
does the life of Coast Indians before the
whites settled here. In the collection are
four different styles of canoes, the Hump
tulips, Cowlitz, Cathlamet. Shoalwater
bay and Chinook. All of them are hoi-
lowed-out logs. The Humptulips canoe
resembles an elongated bread bowl in
shape and appearance, and the Shoalwater
bay canoe is similar to it. The Chinook
and Cathlamet canoes are also much alike.
The best made and most artistic and
serviceable of all is the Cowitz
canoe. The largest is the Chinook,
and is the one in common use by
the Indians of the present day on
Willapa harbor. The Cathlamet canoe
was used for sealing purposes. The last
named and the Cowlitz are said to be the
swiftest. The Cowlitz is the only one
which has q fgurehead, which is fearfully
and wonderfully carved, representing as it
does an animal which was principally
mouth, and the like of which neither
biologists nor biologists have as yet dis
covered.
Another curiosity is a spearhead used in
seal hunting. Il is made of iron and
bone. 1t seems that the Indians knew
the uses of iron before the whites landed.
Their source of supply. at least so far as
cerned, consisted of the wreck of a
schooner which was cast up on the ocean
beach. They seem to have Immediately
recognized its value and to have known
how to shape the iron to suit their pur-
poses. So valuable were these pieces Of
iron in their eyes, piece foot long
would buy slave, a piece few inches
longer was worth two slaves, and the
smallest piece which could be used either
in knife or spearhead was worth fine
Cowlitz canoe.
Other curiosities are sail mating made
of flags. and kettles made of the same ma
terial which they used to place upon the
fire in cooking, needles made of yew wood
and of the bone of the wing of an alba
tross, dip nets made, however, of white
mans cotton Irvine instead of the original
material, which was the fibre from shrub
which only grows near The Dalles in Ore
gon, and is now. not obtainable, a couple of
needles resembling weaver's shutties
which were used in making large nets.
Among the articles of dress is the full
court costume of "tyee'' Indian woman
which consists of belt made of the wool
Of the mountain sheep, about foot in
width and with pendant fringe. The
male "tyee" costume seems to have con-
sisted principally of a pair of suspenders
and a stone bruise and is therefore not
represented in this collection.
The best piece of Indian carving is on a
couple of bowls made of the horn of the
mountain sheep three inches in diameter
The carving is very elaborate and consists
of geometric figures and rude drawings of
animals.
The most curious and interesting object
in the collection is an Indian cradle, with
bedding and all the instruments used in
fattenlng the child's head. The cradle is
followed out of a solid piece of cedar. The
bedding and coverings are Of inner cedar
bark, finely split and very soft. The head
pressing apparatus consists first of soft
piece of muskrat skin, well tanned; over it
is placed pad of cedar bark, and then
slightly tlattened cylinder made of cedar
bark and grass mating, which is tied
tightly over the forehead. An Indian con-
sders it disgrace to make cradle for his
own child. always securing the services of
professional cradle maker.
A Chinook house. which will be erected
on the Worlds fair grounds, will COM
plete the collection. 1t differs from the
pole wigwam of the plains Indians in
being rectangular in shape and often
large enough to accommodate thirty or
forty families.
The collection has been made by an old
Indian namcN Cultee. of Bay Center. who
is one Of the half dozen survivors of the
original Shoalwater bay tribe He has
taken the deepest interest in the work and
is very proud of the result of his iabors.