The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-10-30
THIINKETs.
Alaskan Indians Are Less Beautiful
Than Their baskets.

Than Their Baskets.
The Alaskan Indian is SO unlike
the red man of our great West that
he is probably Of different racial
stock Many students of ethno1ogy
claim that these queer people OF the
North are Of Asiatic origin from the
fact that their skillful carvings and
method of weaving indicate that at
some time or other they must have
been in contact with the Japanese
race-even the features of the Chill
kat tribe bear a slight resemblance
10 those Of the little brown men OF
the Orient.
The Indians are known under the
general name Of Thlinkets and are
| divided into tribes called the Chill
kats, Stickenes, Yakutats, Haidahs,
Aleuts and Auks. There is nothing
picturesque in either the dress or the
makeup of the squaws. The former
usually consists Of a dirty calico or
worsted dress, a greasy-looking shawl
and a highly-colored handkerchief
tied over the head Many of them
laboret, or lip ornament, is fast dis
appearing, but there is one woman
at Wrangel who still wears it. She
appears to be about ninety years old,
although the tourist is told that she
is 10. This hideous face decoration
Is peculiar to the Alaskan Indians.
An incision is made in the chin just
below the lip, and a piece of green
wood forced into the hole. The wood
swells, and when the opening has
healed, the laboret, the size OF a
spool Of buttOnhole twist, is inserted.
1t is usually made of abloni shell,
but sometimes common glass; It's
weight often pulls the lip down, dis
closing ragged teeth. But the laboret
was mark of rank and wealth and
was universally worn
Rings through the nose were also
in fashion among both sexes, but this
custom has entirely disappeared.
Cheap American iewelry has taken
the place Of these once priced orna-
ments, and fancy bracelets and rings
with colored glass setting adorn the
arms and hands Of the squaws. An
other tribe, the Auks, paint their
faces with peculiar kind of wood
found in the mountains, and after
satisfying foolish desire to try the
effect on my own face, l can testify
that 1t will not readily wash off.
Their manner is stolid, but the
sight Of a camera will nearly always
cause stampede TO cover. They sit
along the streets of the white mans
town, selling baskets, moccasins and
tTinkets. Babies are often on their
laps, yet they rarely cry and do not
disturb their mothers as they offer
Indian wares. The baskets on sale
are unique, the main texture of them
being spruce roots interviewer with
blades Of grass and colored with a
vegetable dye prepared by an I'M
known process. Many days are often
consumed in weaving a single one, as
the worker cannot even begin the
basket until hundreds of slender
threads Of fibre have been secured.
They are carefully wrapped to keep
them from getting soiled, and the
~NSeSAt~A ~ AVANSot~N lOt " nduulC
them Prices range from 81 to $25,
according TO the size and quality of
the work Attu baskets are more ex-
pensive, and bring from $25 to $3.50.
This is due to the scarcity of weavers,
which now number about thirty-five.
The finest basket ever woven by this
tribe was presented to Helen Gould
as token Of their appreciation of
her kindness several years ago, when
they were on the verge OF starvation.
The soft coloring and delicate weav-
ing OF Attn baskets so attracted Nine.
Calves artistic eye during visit to
Seattle that fifty specimens of Aleu-
tian work, together with a number of
their carvings on mastodon ivory,
now occupy hooks and corners of her
Partisan home Leslie's Weekly.