OBJECT IS ILLUSTRATED ON P. 8 ("A") OF DAVID IVES BUSHNELL, "DRAWINGS BY GEORGE GIBBS IN THE FAR NORTHWEST, 1849-1851," SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS 97.8 (1938). - STEVEN L. GRAFE 1997. Bushnell identifies animal figure on handle as representing a raccoon, Procyon lotor, with the eyes indicated by copper inlays and identifies object as collected by George Gibbs probably in 1850 or 1851. See p. 386 of Gilman, Carolyn; 2003; Lewis and Clark across the divide; Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books, where this object is illustrated and described. Identified there as handle for a straight adze, animal leg bone, Chinookan, pre-1850, collected at the mouth of the Columbia River, designed for use with a steel blade. Animal figure carved on the end. The type used for carving canoes.For more information, see pdf of additional documentation on the Gibbs collections provided by Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa which is filed with the Emu accession/transaction record.

HAS CATALOG CARD.

FOOD DISH COVER, NORTHERN NWC POSSIBLY HAIDA, PLAITED CEDAR BARK BASKET. (NOTE BY DR. LAFORET, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MAN.)

From card: "Stick worked out into a crutch head at the grip and gracefully curved to the sharp point. Used for digging roots."Karen Anderson (Nuxalk elder), Ian Reid (Heiltsuk) and Evelyn Windsor (Heiltsuk elder) of the delegation from Bella Bella, Bella Coola and Rivers Inlet communities of British Columbia made the following comments during the Recovering Voices Community Research Visit May 20th - 24th, 2013. This digging stick is for unearthing clover roots and clams. It is made from either maple or yew.

FROM CARD: "ILLUS. IN USNM AR, 1888 PL. 47, FIG. 265, P. 322, ALSO PL. 48, FIG. 270. (DUPLICATE CARD. COPIED FROM CATALOG BOOK) LABEL: "HAIDA INDIANS, BRITISH COLUMBIA." 4/18/67: LOANED TO VANCOUVER ART GALL.12/13/67 RETURNED BY VANCOUVER. [back of card] LOANED TO S.I. CENTENNIAL COMM. 7-9-75. LOAN RETURNED AUG. 3, 1988. LENT TO CANADIAN EMBASSY, NOV. 19, 1991. LOAN RETURNED NOV. 20, 1991."This appears to be the pipe illustrated in the center on p. 155 of Vol. 5 of Charles Wilkes, 1798-1877, Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition. During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842., 1845 edition, Philadelphia. Printed from original "official" 1844 Philadelphia publication plates ed., 5 vols. (Philadephia: Lea and Blanchard, 1845).Argillite pipe carved with both animal and human figures. Rectangular in shape with rounded corners. The two central figures are a raven and a bear with their beak and mouth joining. The bear has a salmon in its paws. On the back of the bear and raven is a killer whale. The bowl for the pipe is the raven's head and the mouth piece in the killer whale's blow hole. On the bottom of the pipe are human figures. Linear manufacture marks are noted overall.Provenience note, in 1841 Oregon Territory encompassed the land from Russian Alaska to Spanish California and from the Pacific to the Continental Divide. The U.S. Exploring Expedition did not go to Canada, but did reach Oregon Territory in 1841, and carried out a hydrographic survey of the Columbia River from its mouth to the Cascades, as well as doing some surveying inland.They had dealings with Hudson's Bay Company staff during that time, and it is probable that the HBC is the source of a number of the Northwest Coast artifacts collected by the expedition. This object has been attributed as possibly Haida, based on its being made of argillite.

REPLACEMENT CARD: INFORMATION COPIED FROM LEDGER,AUGUST,1983.

FROM CARD: "ENGRAVED WITH TRADITIONAL SCROLL WORK DESIGN. INVENTORIED 1979. FROM OLD EXHIBIT LABEL WITH CARD: "BRACELETS (3).---SILVER BANDS, 3/4 INCH BROAD, BENT IN CIRCLETS; HOOK-AND-EYE CLASP; EXTERIOR ENGRAVED WITH SCROLL-WORK. SITKA INDIANS. GREATER DIAMS.,2 1/4 TO 2 1/2 INS. LEAST DIAMS., 1 7/8 TO 2 INS. ALASKA, 1875. 19,536, 19,537, 19,538. COLLECTED BY J. G. SWAN."