Baskets, Beads and Buckskin

Arts and Crafts: Baskets, Beads and Buckskin

You'll find some of their woven bas-kets in fashionable boutiques, beaded ornaments and dolls in plush galleries and buckskin clothes in specialty shops from New York to San Francisco. And much of their early work touted as some of the finest expressions of American Indian art around.

Yet, paradoxically, if history had its way, the nomadic Apaches would not have produced any noteworthy handicrafts at all.

Throughout history it has been the stable sedentary tribes that have had the time to develop artistically the ceremonial and social complexities to use and encourage the fine quality finished products. The unsettled groups, on the other hand, forced to endure an unstable existence, had to settle for the practical, unadorned utilitarian variety. With one exception: the Apache.

In this special case, the Apache's ability to set some sort of historical precedent has its roots elsewhere, particularly in their progressive nature, their pride in achievement and also in their desire to preserve ancient traditions.

But to fully appreciate their work and to get a better understanding of the character of the people behind the crafts one has to know something more about their historical background.

In the beginning, they called themselves simply Indeeh, meaning "the People." But adversaries, who felt the sting of their aggressiveness, called them Apachu, a word borrowed from the Zuni, meaning "enemy." For many generations they remained a roaming nomadic group, settling nowhere yet everywhere.

Their early life has been told and retold innumerable times, sometimes glamorously and other times negatively. But all writers agree in one respect, that their nomad-like existence, and much of what they experienced with the Spanish, Mexicans and, later, the Americans pre-vented their early development of any-thing other than the most basic and practical crafts. The best was yet to come.

From prehistory to modern times crafts of all the Indian tribes have undergone several stages of develop-ment, either with changes in character or in their basic style. At first, the Apache's crafts were strictly utilitarian. But then, by the end of the Civil War, the situation began to change. Prompted by the growing availability of manufac-tured articles and guided by the trading posts, styles, shapes and designs were redirected from the purely functional to those which had the greatest commer-cial appeal.

The next leap forward for Indian crafts came with the expanding network of railroads across the West. In the 1880s locomotion brought a big jump in the number of travellers and tourists, increasing the market for crafts sig-nificantly, which, in turn, stimulated production and inspired artisans to create new craft forms. Once limited to a close-knit group of anthropologists, the appreciation for native art now began to spread to all kinds of people from coast to coast.

But then came the depressed '30s

(Left) Finely executed Apache coiled basketry of the 1930s. Today only a few weavers continue to create works approaching the perfection of the early period, 1890 to 1940. At the top are burden baskets; at left, a large oval; bottom, right, trays and bowls. Jerry Jacka more realistic representations. “Negative” or “reverse” designs (lighter patterns on darker backgrounds), which were largely ignored by historic weavers because of the relative scarcity and difficulty in working the black devil's claw material, were introduced by more enthusiastic modern weavers. Their striking visual appeal met with immediate acceptance. Other changes were introduced at this time, such as the use of red yucca root for the finishing rim coil and the appearance of unexpected, commercially-dyed greens, blues, and other design colors.

Knowledge of the intricate process of coiling and familiarity with basketry designs always have been handed down from elder weavers to younger ones. Hence the generation lapse in Indian crafts' production during the depression and war years had a severe impact on coiled work, as very few teachers remained when the revival in interest occurred during the 1960s. Nor was there an over-abundance of pupils anxious to learn. Capable young artisans recognized that simple crafts offered a relatively larger return than complex ones. And that other job opportunities, even menial labor, were not quite as exacting as the tedious weeks of effort required to complete a single, fine coiled basket. A continuation of the craft was indeed in jeopardy, and easily could have passed into oblivion had it not been for the deep desire to preserve tradition among some Apache people.

Overcoming the effects of the dormant weaving period that threatened Apache coiled basketry has been a difficult struggle. Today, only a handful of weavers continue to create coiled baskets approaching the perfection attained during the 1890-1940 period, but due to the time-consuming nature of their chosen craft, the total current output is perhaps a dozen or so specimens each year. Of this limited number, some are kept by the weaver and members of her family, while others are spoken for by museums and collectors long before they are finished.

But there are other problems with coiled basketry, too, aside from the difficulty in weaving them. It's a monetary one. Because the modern buyer doesn't always appreciate the added time and effort that goes into the making of finely-executed coiled baskets, he doesn't usually buy the more expensive item. To counter this problem some modern weavers have started simplifying construction and decorating techniques in order to provide baskets which fall within the price range of the average traveller.

Twined baskets, on the other hand, avoid many of the mechanical complexities of coiled work, and the revival of interest in this area during the last 10 years has made it the most active of all contemporary crafts, both in quantity and quality.

Just as coiled work always has been centered among weavers at San Carlos, twined work predominantly has been localized among weavers of Fort Apache, where the selected materials used in their construction grows in abundance.

The most conspicuous form of Apache twined basketry is the burden basket. Early specimens are scarce and much sought after today because of their combined ethnic significance and aesthetic value. Originally, these carrying baskets served the dual purposes of transporting materials and as an integral part of certain ceremonial activities, hence, the name. “harvest baskets.” Like many successful creative businessmen, the makers of burden baskets knew when they had a good product and they stayed with it. Only in a few minor areas did they accept modern innovations, and these were mostly material substitutes used for the sake of convenience.

For example, wire. Long before the turn of this century, when heavy gauge wire became available, the Apache weavers used it to replace the traditional willow hoop, or pairs of willow hoops, originally used as finishing rims. And in other cases they brought into use commercial coloring dyes to replace the homemade product.

Yet even though they employ the original weaving technique, use the same materials, and decorate the baskets in the conventional manner there is a significant difference between the older and the newly made baskets. And the distinction is more than enough to excite collectors and museums alike. It's a vast improvement in the quality of work of many of the modern weavers.

Just as essential as the burden basket to the early nomadic Apache was his woven water container. As a protective measure in the early days the Apache rancheria most always was located some length away from vulnerable positions along streams and rivers. This meant that water had to be carried in a suitable container from its source to a permanent storage container or "olla" at some distance.

The baskets used for storage of water were obviously larger than the ones used for transport. To stabilize them they were formed with flat or gently rounded bottoms. The smaller carrying baskets, contrarily, were woven with a bulging belly and a pointed bottom, which, when layed on its side, still left the neck of the vessel above the water line and prevented spilling.

Another Apache craft item similar to both the burden basket and the water container is the baby carrier, which graduated from a purely functional, domestic article to a popular commercial craft without undergoing any significant change from the original, traditional form. It continues to be made throughout the Arizona Apache reserve, both for personal use as well as for commercial consumption. The original Apache baby cradle was very versatile. It was, in effect, a buggy when carried in the mother's arms, or slung over her back and supported with rawhide straps. As a sleeping crib, its snug, padded quarters were entirely adequate. And as a play pen, the cradle allowed only limited movement, but compensated in part by the addition of various objects of amusement dangling from the protective hood or sunshade.

Structurally and functionally, present day Apache baby carriers are very similar to original cradle models. Only in the use of modern, more accessible materials have the makers departed to any noticeable extent from the old, conventional style. Early examples were framed with a durable bent willow bough, crossed with flat yucca ribs, and covered with sparsely decorated rawhide, often colored yellow with native dyes.

While the modern version continued to use the sturdy willow frame, in many cases, practical crate slats have replaced The yucca, and the rawhide cover has been changed to more readily available canvas or heavy muslin. Modern cradles with such new ornamental devices as sequins, and colored in different pastel shades with commercial dyes, can also be found in stores and trading posts alongside the conventional beaded yellow styles. Smaller sizes, including miniatures, are available, too, as mementos and as children's toys.

The manufacture of fringed buckskin wearing apparel is another important Apache craft. These are ornamented with conventional glass beads and metal cone tinklers. As in the case of the burden basket and baby carrier, these visually striking dresses and capes continue to be used, frequently in various ceremonial activities. Because of this they have retained much of their traditional style, design, and color.

The second general category of contemporary Apache crafts includes articles which have changed from their original, traditional styles to new forms as a result of a newly-created, non-Indian market. Probably the most conspicuous example is the Apache doll. Originally, dolls specially made for Apache children were formed around a padded fork of willow or cottonwood, and dressed in delicately decorated native buckskin clothes of the time. These early toys usually did not have a permanent head. It was rather a loosely connected ball of straw on a cluster of tied ribbons.

As the first years of the reservation period passed Apache women replaced their beautiful but impractical beaded buckskin attire with more comfortable flared skirts and blouses of calico. So the dolls' clothes changed as well. When calico replaced buckskin, thread was substituted for sewing fibers of animal sinew; needles, and even an occasional sewing machine, made the agave cactus thorn or bone awl obsolete. The wooden fork framework disappeared, too, replaced by muslin-covered padding which made a doll body with a permanently attached head. Since then Apache dolls have remained unchanged in style, and are today becoming increasingly popular, which, in turn, has brought many new artisans into the field. With new makers come new ideas, and recently there has been a hint of a return to the original style doll, dressed in buckskin decorated with beading and metal tinkler cones.

Akin to the calico dolls are the carved cottonwood doll versions of the ceremonial Apache Gans Dancers. This relatively new craft, which allows theparticipation of male artisans, originated about 10 years ago. The colorful doll sets, comprised of four or five animated figures, accurately depict the motions of the dancers. Still in the early stages of development, production is not large, but promises to increase rapidly.

Finally, the category of traditional articles which have changed markedly from their original forms are the variety of small beaded ornaments covering a wide range of items, limited only by the creative ingenuity of the makers. These include well-made necklaces, bolas, neckties, pins, and other personal adornment, which fill the ever-present need for inexpensive yet representative Indian curios.

Today, interest in American Indian crafts is greater than ever before, reaching all segments of America and overflowing into foreign countries. The superior qualities of its various forms have been found to be excellent articles for home decoration and personal adornment as well as collectibles with investment potential.

While the ever-present curio continues to be produced in quantity to accommodate the increasing number of travellers, much emphasis recently has been placed on the reinstatement of well-executed conventional forms of earlier days. Still other more progressive artisans have deviated from purely traditional styles, and successfully combined individual creative ingenuity with superior workmanship to present a well accepted modern concept of Indian artistic expression.

(Right) Wax of the jojoba nut is used by the San Carlos Apaches in the making of an exclusive assortment of colorful candles.

(Left) Today's Apache baby carriers are unchanged from the original models except in materials used. Crate slats have replaced the yucca ribs and canvas or muslin the rawhide for the cover.

(Below) Taking advantage of the comfortable shade and free air circulation of the traditional summer shed, an Apache mother and her daughters work at creating intricate beadwork patterns.

Photographs by Jerry Jacka