Athapascan Indians; Indians of North America -- California
_Baskets._--The basketry is of twined weave called Chet-too. The big
storehouse baskets, called Hawsh-tan, are closely woven and have a
shallow saucer-shape lid. The large open work burden basket is called
Tus, the large cooking basket, Met-too´-sil^{ch}, the small mush bowl
Hah´-tsah, the large shallow meal tray Mes-chet´-te-gah´, the large
open work shallow bowl Tre-kwahs´-tuk, the small open work plate or
platter Kah´-se, the subglobular choke-mouth trinket basket Net´-tah,
the milling basket Ki´-e-sut, the baby basket Kah´-yu, its shade
Ne´-whats-tah, the women's basket hat Ki´-e-traht´. There is also a
subglobular openwork basket called I´-[)a]-loo´ with an arched handle
for carrying on the arm.
The cooking bowls, mush baskets, and other small baskets are made
of spruce roots, 'Hre´, more or less covered with an overlay of
bear grass (_Xerophyllum_, called Too-t[)e]^{chl}) and maiden hair
fern (_Adiantum_) called Ke´-tsi-shah´-te, meaning Blue-jay knees,
because of the slender form and black color. The roots used in the
carrying baskets, baby baskets, and other coarse baskets are of hazel,
called 'Kun. The common black design in ordinary baskets consists
of Spruce roots that have been buried in dark mud and are called
Tah´-che-gut-kle-ah. They are ordinarily used in connection with the
bear grass (_Xerophyllum_).
_Fragments of Hahwunkwut myths._--Skum, Coyote man, made the world.
When the sun dropped down the Coon caught it up and it was hot, and
blackened the insides of his hands.
When the world first floated there was just one big white Redwood tree
called Kus-choo´-ke. A big Eagle was sitting on the tree and was king of
the world.
The Falcon (Tah´-tes) won the battle for the people.
_Hahwunkwut foods._--A large variety of foods are eaten: meat
(Ch[=a]´-sun) of elk and deer, both fresh and dried, salmon and
other fish, fresh and dried, marrow, tallow, salmon eggs (usually
smoke-dried), clams of several kinds, mussels, fish milt both dried and
fresh, acorn mush and bread, and a number of roots, berries, and other
parts of plants. Among the food berries are strawberries, blackberries,
salmon-berries, huckleberries, salal berries, elder berries and
manzanita berries.
Elder berries are mixed with blackberries and steamed in the ground
oven; manzanita berries are mashed and mixed with smoke-dried salmon
eggs.
Two kinds of kelp are eaten.
Root masses of the brake fern (_Pteris aquilina_, called Tah´-sohn-ki)
are cooked in the ground oven. They are said to be like milk and have a
fine flavor.
Salt is not used.
Wild tobacco is called Yahn-s[)e]^{ch} yah-we and S[)e]^{ch}-yu. The
pipe is straight and is called A-chah.
_Hahwunkwut plant notes._--The Tree Maple (_Acer macrophyllum_) is
called Ch[=a]´-she. Its inner bark is used for the ordinary everyday
dress for women.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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