Notes

From 19th or early 20th century exhibit label with card: "Snow-shoes Round [illegible], round toe, strongly curved up; long, pointed heel. Toe and heel netting of twisted deer sinews; foot netting, coarse strong mahout, all rove through frame. Right and left, a slight difference being made in the curves of the frames. Secured to foot by two short loops over toes, and a long one around foot above heel. Length 47 ins. Greatest breadth, 11 3/4 ins. Sitka, Alaska, 1882. Collected by John J. McLean. Used by the Chilkaht-tena (Tinneh or Kaiyuh-Kha-tana) [rest of text cut off.] Chilkaht-tena may be Inland Tlingit? Tinneh = Athabaskan? Kaiyuh-Kha-tana may mean Ingalik/Deg Hit'an? Anthropology catalogue ledger book identifies these objects as Chilkaht River, SE Alaska. A letter filed in Accession 12209 dated Sept. 23, 1882 from Sitka, Alaska, written by John J. McLean to Spencer Baird, seems to describe artifacts in accession 12214 rather than those of Acc. 12209. The letter indicates that the snowshoes are from "Chilcaht" and are of "modern manufacture."