Snowshoe

Item number Z 44995 B from the MAA: University of Cambridge.

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Description

Pair of snowshoes with wooden frames and sinew strung. These snowshoes are broad and fairly rounded, but have flattened off ends. The sinew is very brittle, and B) has ripped at the top edge. There are geometric patterns woven into the sinew. Thetapering ends at the back are bolted together with pieces of copper and iron. The words DUP.BM are written in pencil on centre bar.; Good

Context

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. The snow shoes 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). Beth Carter of The Glenbow Museum, Calgary, suggests thesesnowshoes are Eastern Cree type, possibly Montagnais, as illustrated in The Spirit Sings catalogue, page 44, W33 (19051993). 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.