String of 90 handmade beads, 81 brass and 9 copper. Each bead is barrel shaped, of similar size and shape but not identical. They are open on narrow ends. Each has a single horizontal slit where the metal was joined. The beads are strung on a piece of sinew.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

Anonymous Donor.

Gift of Meredith and Robert Amon.

Bernice Akamine says the impetus behind her feather work is a cultural connection to her Hawaiian ancestors, and finds inspiration in the feather baskets of the Pomo people. 'Ahu 'ula is the feather cape worn by Hawaiian nobility. This basket speaks alliances leading to cultural and artistic connections throughout the Pacific. Though this basket portrays connections between people and the natural world, Akamine says that when she works with feathers, the quiet she experiences is like an isolated meditation.

Museum Puchase: Funds from Native American Art Council.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

Gift of George E. and Jerry A. Marshall in memory of George A. and Helen B. Marshall.

Lillian Pitt is a local Native American artist whose work reflects her Wasco heritage. She did not become an artist until age 38 when she began working with clay. Now, Pitt works with a variety of materials and is a renowned sculptor, jeweler, and printmaker, as well as an advocate for Native American art. She is especially well known for her masks and other small clay figures that are inspired by the stories of her people that she was taught as a child. The petroglyphs along the Columbia River and other traditional Wasco images have also served as a major source of inspiration. In Wasco Totem, Pitt has created clay forms with traditional Wasco motifs that are similar to those found on baskets, beadwork, and stone carvings. These clay pieces are then assembled on a rough-hewn board and attached with brass nails and wire. The result serves as a monument to the Wasco people. The similarity of the image to a crucifixion also refers to the tremendous struggles that the Wasco and other Native Peoples have endured.