Basketry
Among the tools and implements pioneers used to keep and transport goods, a very important item was baskets! Baskets of various shapes and types were used to hold food such as onions and potatoes, gather eggs and other food items, or store belongings.
Today, we think of baskets as mostly decorative objects, rather than necessities, but throughout most of history, baskets have been woven with a specific purpose in mind - different baskets can have different uses which can go from gathering, carrying, storage, even cooking vessels!
Baskets as cooking vessels -
You might be wondering... how would you actually cook food in a basket? Wouldn’t the basket burn if placed over a flame? It most definitely would! This is why the following method was followed when cooking soups or porridge: Indigenous peoples of California relied on acorns as a source or nourishment and made a porridge using the following method: The acorns were ground and soaked several times to remove the bitterness, the acorn meal was then mixed with water and placed in the cooking baskets, while rocks were heated directly in the fire or coals. When they were hot enough, they were quickly dipped in water to remove any dirt and ash, then transferred to the cooking basket where the contents would come to a rolling boil quickly, since the rock was red hot - If needed, the process could be repeated until the meal was cooked through, but it would usually only take one rock to cook the meal.
You can watch a video of this process here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gbtQDp4BLCw
Basket weavers traditionally collect natural materials readily available from their surroundings to construct their baskets. Baskets can be woven from grasses, roots, pine needles, reeds, etc., their main purpose determines the tightness of the construction - a basket meant to hold water or tiny seeds will have to be tightly woven, whereas a basket meant to trap a fish would have to be woven loosely to allow water to escape while retaining the fish!
California Indigenous people made baskets using coil and twining methods with materials available to them. They decorated their baskets using shells, feathers, seeds, quills, and beads made from stones. The materials they used depended on what they could gather where they lived, be it in the valley, by the shore, or in the hills or mountain regions. They sometimes traded materials from one region to another which allowed for more diversity in their designs. The California State Indian Museum in Sacramento (2618 K St.) has a fantastic collection of baskets - you should visit when you get a chance! You can find more information on Native American People in California by visiting: Native American Heritage Commission
Your pioneer box contains materials for you to make a simple reed basket. These are wild reeds! You can soak them directly in the bag they came in, or transfer to a different vessel at your own risk ;) To do this, simply open the bag, take our the wooden base, then fill the bag with water and zip it closed. The reeds will be contained while you soak them and you can pull them out one by one as needed!
Watch the slideshow below for a step-by-step video to help you in constructing your basket! Make sure to pause the slideshow as needed.
Today, we think of baskets as mostly decorative objects, rather than necessities, but throughout most of history, baskets have been woven with a specific purpose in mind - different baskets can have different uses which can go from gathering, carrying, storage, even cooking vessels!
Baskets as cooking vessels -
You might be wondering... how would you actually cook food in a basket? Wouldn’t the basket burn if placed over a flame? It most definitely would! This is why the following method was followed when cooking soups or porridge: Indigenous peoples of California relied on acorns as a source or nourishment and made a porridge using the following method: The acorns were ground and soaked several times to remove the bitterness, the acorn meal was then mixed with water and placed in the cooking baskets, while rocks were heated directly in the fire or coals. When they were hot enough, they were quickly dipped in water to remove any dirt and ash, then transferred to the cooking basket where the contents would come to a rolling boil quickly, since the rock was red hot - If needed, the process could be repeated until the meal was cooked through, but it would usually only take one rock to cook the meal.
You can watch a video of this process here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gbtQDp4BLCw
Basket weavers traditionally collect natural materials readily available from their surroundings to construct their baskets. Baskets can be woven from grasses, roots, pine needles, reeds, etc., their main purpose determines the tightness of the construction - a basket meant to hold water or tiny seeds will have to be tightly woven, whereas a basket meant to trap a fish would have to be woven loosely to allow water to escape while retaining the fish!
California Indigenous people made baskets using coil and twining methods with materials available to them. They decorated their baskets using shells, feathers, seeds, quills, and beads made from stones. The materials they used depended on what they could gather where they lived, be it in the valley, by the shore, or in the hills or mountain regions. They sometimes traded materials from one region to another which allowed for more diversity in their designs. The California State Indian Museum in Sacramento (2618 K St.) has a fantastic collection of baskets - you should visit when you get a chance! You can find more information on Native American People in California by visiting: Native American Heritage Commission
Your pioneer box contains materials for you to make a simple reed basket. These are wild reeds! You can soak them directly in the bag they came in, or transfer to a different vessel at your own risk ;) To do this, simply open the bag, take our the wooden base, then fill the bag with water and zip it closed. The reeds will be contained while you soak them and you can pull them out one by one as needed!
Watch the slideshow below for a step-by-step video to help you in constructing your basket! Make sure to pause the slideshow as needed.