The baskets in the collection are Klickitat, Hupa and Yurok-Karok in origin, made in California, Oregon, and Washington states. Alice most likely purchased them during several trips to the west coast she made in the early 1900s. The Yurok-Karok and Hupa baskets are similar to each other and were likely made by related peoples in California. They are made of woven willow, pine root, bear grass and maidenhair fern, with a weave so tight and fine they are said to hold water. The Klickitat baskets are large burden baskets woven of red cedar root, cattail leaf, or beaver grass with geometric designs and rawhide straps. The Klickitat, or Qwu’lh-hwai-pum (prairie people), lived along the shores of the Columbia River between the present day states of Washington and Oregon. 

These baskets are exhibited along with a number of other Native American artifacts, including pottery, dolls, beadwork, ceremonial objects, and stone tools.

Image at top: Hupa/Yurok basket, northwestern California, ca. 1900