Snowshoe Item Number: Z 44993 B from the MAA: University of Cambridge
Pair of snowshoes, with wooden frames and sinew strung. The fronts of the snowshoes are flattened off, and have three leather tufts, there are two wooden cross bars which divide the snowshoes into three sinew strung sections.Similar to Z 44994 inshape but no woollen ends to sinews.; Good
In both Emmons' s The Tlingit Indians (University of Washington Press: Seattle 1991) page 98-100, and The Spirit Sings catalogue (Glenbow Museum: 1988) page 107, the description of Northwest Coast snowshoes does not match those held at CUMAA. Thesnowshoes are noted to be of two types, one having flat rounded ends and being used in the Yukon and Alaska, and the other having pointed up-turned ends used in N.W.T and northern B.C. Both types have very open latice work sinew were the feet are tied. The snowshoes were traded for from the Athapaskans. The snowshoes at CUMAA are quite different suggesting an alternative provenance, but I am uncertain where this would be (G.Crowther). The original European tribal names and, where possible, current tribal names have both been given in separate GLT fields.; Snowshoes were designed to allow travel in deep powdery snow.