Prehistoric Textile Art of Eastern United States: Thirteenth Annual Report of the Beaurau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1891-1892, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1896, pages 3-46Holmes, William Henry
History
Prehistoric Textile Art of Eastern United States: Thirteenth Annual Report of the Beaurau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1891-1892, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1896, pages 3-46
Holmes, William Henry
Indian textile fabrics -- North America; Indians of North America -- Antiquities
The character of the woven articles is to a great extent indicated in
the extracts which follow. It evidently was not customary to weave
"piece" goods, but rather to make separate units of costumes,
furnishing, etc., for use without cutting, fitting, and sewing. Each
piece was practically complete when it came from the frame or loom. For
clothing and personal use there were mantles, shawls, and cloaks to be
worn over one or both shoulders or about the body as described by
Hariot, Smith, the Knight of Elvas, Du Pratz, and others; there were
skirts fastened about the waist and drawn with an inserted cord or
looped over a belt; there were belts, sashes, garters, shot pouches, and
bags. For household use there were hangings, covers for various
articles, and bedclothing; there were nets for fishing and cords for
angling. Some of these extracts describe the whole group of activities
included in the practice of the art as well as the use of the products.
I have considered it preferable to quote as a unit all that is said on
the subject by each author, giving cross reference, when necessary, in
discussing particular topics under other headings.
Weaving among the Indians of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and the
northeast is described by Kalm, De la Potherie, and others. The
following extracts are from Kalm, and will serve to indicate the status
of the art over a wide area:
_Apocynum cannabinum_ was by the Swedes called Hemp of the
Indians; and grew plentifully in old corn grounds, in woods on
hills, and in high glades. The Swedes had given it the name of
Indian hemp, because the Indians formerly, and even now, apply
it to the same purposes as the Europeans do hemp; for the
stalk may be divided into filaments, and is easily prepared.
When the Indians were yet settled among the Swedes, in
Pensylvania and New Jersey, they made ropes of this apocynum,
which the Swedes bought, and employed them as bridles, and for
nets. These ropes were stronger, and kept longer in water,
than such as were made of common hemp. The Swedes commonly got
fourteen yards of these ropes for one piece of bread. Many of
the Europeans still buy such ropes, because they last so well.
The Indians likewise make several other stuffs of their hemp.
On my journey through the country of the Iroquese, I saw the
women employed in manufacturing this hemp. They made use
neither of spinning wheels nor distaffs, but rolled the
filaments upon their bare thighs, and made thread and strings
of them, which they dyed red, yellow, black, etc., and
afterwards worked them into stuffs, with a great deal of
ingenuity. The plant is perennial, which renders the annual
planting of it altogether unnecessary. Out of the root and
stalk of this plant, when it is fresh, comes a white milky
juice, which is somewhat poisonous. Sometimes the fishing
tackle of the Indians consists entirely of this hemp. The
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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