Director's Corner: Woven Together: Klamath Tribes Basketry
A History Spotlight from OHS Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk
Judging by the requests we receive from our members and history buffs, some of the most fascinating and popular items preserved in our collections are Native American baskets. We are very proud to be the guardians and caretakers of some 1,649 Native American baskets hand woven by members of tribes located in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Baskets, of course, are an important part of Native American life, with each basket serving a specific purpose, such as storage or food gathering. Materials used for basket weaving differ between tribes depending on the resources available and the basket’s function. Some baskets are lined with pitch to make them watertight, while others are woven out of flexible materials so they can be easily folded.
Visitors to OHS now have an opportunity to view a wonderful new exhibit featuring a collection of baskets from the Klamath Tribes that were recently donated to us by Oregon State Senator Betsy Johnson. The Klamath Tribes include the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin people. Their traditional and ancestral homelands span from Clear Lake (northeast of Eugene, Oregon) south to California's Mount Shasta, and from east of the Cascades to California’s Goose Lake, which is near the Oregon and Nevada borders. Special thanks to Perry Chocktoot, Klamath Tribes Director of Culture and Heritage, for his help with the exhibit.
The baskets were collected by Senator Johnson’s parents, Sam and Becky Johnson, who were two of Central Oregon's most respected and admired civic leaders. The couple created the Samuel S. Johnson Foundation in 1948, which continues to fund projects across Oregon that foster respect for nature, history, and education. Perhaps their most important legacy was their donation of the headwaters of the Metolius River to the U.S. Forest Service, ensuring that this environmental treasure would be protected and preserved. Sam and Becky collaborated on numerous projects with members of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, and honored the history and traditions of Indigenous people in Oregon.
Original source can be found here.
