Basketry at the High Desert Museum in Bend

Klikitat Huckleberry Basket.

Height: 10 in. Diameter: 9 in.

Doris Swayze Bounds Collection

High Desert Museum

As the name implies this basket was used by the women to collect huckleberries according Pat Courtney Gold. There are several in the collection and although the design varies the unique size and construction is consistent among them.

This basket was made from cedar roots with bear grass decorations.

Wasco/Wishxam Twined bag

Height: 5 in. Diameter: 4 in.

Doris Swayze Bounds Collection, High Desert Museum.

Little bags like this were also called Sally Bags According to Pat Courtney Gold who helped provide much of the background information for the Exhibit.

Klikitat Basket

heighth: 8 in. Diameter at top: 12 in.

Doris Swayze Bounds Collection

The broken edge reveals the thick wall of the imbrication style basketry.

The High Desert Museum a few miles south of Bend Oregon on Highway 97 had a wonderful collection of baskets made by the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest. Many can be seen on display in the "By Hands Through Memory Exhibit Hall of Plateau Indians" at the Museum. Another 90 percent of the collection is in the humidity and temperature controlled collections' vault. I had the good fortune of photographing a few of the baskets there this past year for a calendar project that I share with you in conjunction with the post above.

The information was furnished by Shey Hyatt, Collections Registrar at the High Desert Museum.