A coiled polychrome basket with rattlesnake, woven with dark juncus variegated field, dyed black juncus and sumac. COURTESY PHOTO

Winnowing basket currently on display at Imperial Valley Desert Museum. COURTESY PHOTO 

Supplies needed for pendant weaving. COURTESY PHOTO 

Visitors enjoying pendant weaving during Traditional Craft Days. COURTESY PHOTO 

A coiled polychrome basket with rattlesnake, woven with dark juncus variegated field, dyed black juncus and sumac. COURTESY PHOTO

Winnowing basket currently on display at Imperial Valley Desert Museum. COURTESY PHOTO 

Supplies needed for pendant weaving. COURTESY PHOTO 

Visitors enjoying pendant weaving during Traditional Craft Days. COURTESY PHOTO 

The tradition of basket making in Kumeyaay culture and neighboring indigenous peoples dates back thousands of years in southern California. Like many of the Kumeyaay’s tools, such as ollas and arrowshaft straighteners, baskets performed a variety of functions. They were used for practical purposes, including the gathering, preparing and storage of food. Sometimes they were worn as caps. Some baskets were woven so tightly they could even hold water! Depending on the baskets’ use and design, they could take months or even years to complete. 

The time, skill, and resources required to produce such an important and critical tool is a testament to the Kumeyaay and other indigenous peoples’ ability to not only survive, but thrive in extreme conditions. Utilizing the resources around them, the Kumeyaay transformed naturally occurring substances into life-saving implements, demonstrating their skill to adapt to the environment around them. 

Taming a land of extremes 

The Kumeyaay used local plant fibers from agave and yucca in their creation of many tools to aid in their mastery of the desert. Agave was cooked in earthen hearths, also known as roasting pits or earth ovens, which at their most simplistic are holes in the ground used to cook food. Once cooked, the fibers from the agave would be removed from the rest of the plant material and woven together to create baskets or other materials, including strings for bows and sandals. Additionally a variety of native plants, such as deer grass, juncus, sumac and willow are used to make baskets. Often baskets can include geometric designs and shapes, as well as designs from nature. 

To cook food in baskets, the Kumeyaay would first heat rocks, called heating stones, in an open fire. Once sufficiently heated, the rocks would be removed from the fire and placed in the basket with the food. Using sticks, the heated stones were pushed around the basket, warming the food around them. Soapstone was commonly used during the cooking process because it has the ability to retain heat for extended periods of time.

Baskets were a critical tool when gathering food and making traditionals food such as Shawii, which is made from acorns. For the Kumeyaay acorns were, and still are, a significant food in their diet. The Kumeyaay would travel to the mountains to gather acorns together in late October and early November. Women would collect the acorns in baskets and use a carrying net bag to transport the acorns home. 

Once they returned to their settlements, the acorns were stored in granaries generally made of willow. These granaries were large, often times larger than people. To ensure the food remained safe from animals, the Kumeyaay placed the granaries high off the ground. Additionally, natural chemicals in plants, such as willow, prevented insects from eating the food stored in baskets.

The process to make Shawii was long and arduous. Acorns contain tannic acid that can be harmful to digest and therefore require leaching, a process by which the tannic acid was removed. First the shells of the acorns were cracked. Then to remove the thin layer of skin found on acorns, and other foods, the Kumeyaay would use the process of winnowing. During this process, the acorns were rubbed in the tray to loosen the skins. The acorns were then tossed into the air and the wind would blow the loosened skins away leaving behind the heavier portion of the acorn. Finally using a pestle and mortar, the acorns were ground into a meal and rinsed with both cold and hot water to make dough for Shawii and other breads. The important role baskets played throughout this process cannot be understated and required significant skill. 

Basket weaving continues today in many indigenous communities in both the United States and Mexico. To learn more about modern basket weaving techniques in Southern California please visit the California Indian Basketweavers’ Association website to learn more about them and their mission. 

Every fall, Imperial Valley Desert Museum hosts Traditional Craft Days when pendant weaving is featured. IVDM highlights the pendant in celebration of the Kumeyaay and other indigenous groups, recognizing their skill in this time-honored tradition. One of the more difficult crafts IVDM teaches, pendant weaving requires patience and attention to detail. Be sure to come out and visit IVDM to learn more about the history of this beautiful practice. 

The Imperial Valley Desert Museum is located in Ocotillo. It is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

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