File:The mystic mid-region, the deserts of the Southwest (1904) (14595069158).jpg

Identifier: mysticmidregiond00burd (find matches)
Title: The mystic mid-region, the deserts of the Southwest
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Burdick, Arthur J. (Arthur Jerome), 1858-
Subjects: Deserts Southwest, New -- Description and travel
Publisher: New York, London, G.P. Putnam's Sons
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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d in which to store his grain,cook his meals, serve his food, and carry hisburdens. It figures in religious ceremonies, inmarriage festivals, and in funeral rites. Itforms a part of the decoration of his home,and serves him as a repository for his preciousturquoise, wampum, and other treasures. Hiswater-supply is brought and stored in baskets,the history and traditions of his tribe arewoven into basket designs, and of late years,since the curio hunter is abroad in the land,the basket has become a very fertile source ofrevenue, bringing, in some instances, actualwealth. Indian baskets may be divided into fourgeneral classes : 1. Burden baskets, such as are used for thecarrying of loads of various kinds. These aregenerally of coarse material and are quitelikely to be the work of old men who areincapacitated for other labor, or of youngmembers of the tribe who are learning the artof basket-weavinor. 2. Domestic baskets, including the grana-ries, cooking utensils, water-bottles, and other
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Desert Basket-Makers 99 baskets in general use about the house. Inthis line may be chissed the baskets in whichare cradled the infants. 3. Jewel baskets, which are used for holding-articles of value and trinkets priz(d by thehouseholder, and baskets used solely for orna-mental purposes. 4. Ceremonial, embracing such as havesacred significance and historical import, andthose used at feasts and festivals and at mar-riages and funerals. It may seem strange to speak of using basketsin which to cook food, but this is a commonpractice with certain tribes. W-getables areboiled and mush is cooked in baskets, by drop-ping into the basket with the food stoneswhich have been heated on live coals. Cer-tain foods are also cooked in shallow baskets,which have been lined with cla), b) placinglive coals beside the food, and then skilfullytwirling the basket in such a mann(-r as tokeep the food and coals constant!) changingplaces, l)ut at the same time? separate fromeach othc-r. By occasionally blowin

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