FROM CARD: "OF BEAR DANCE OF THE GUSGEMOX. ILLUS. IN USNM REPT, 1895; FIG. 112-B; P. 474."

FROM CARD: "WOMAN'S FACE; PAINTED; LIP PLUG [i.e. labret, and nose ring]. LOANED TO BUENOS AIRES, 1954 - RETURNED 1955. LOANED TO THE S.I. CENTENNIAL COMM. 7-9-75. LOAN RETURNED MAR 22 1990." FROM 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY EXHIBIT LABEL WITH CARD: "CEREMONIAL MASK.---MADE OF WOOD, ORNAMENTED WITH WHITE, RED, AND BLUE PAINT. A BRASS RING PIERCES THE SEPTUM OF THE NOSE. LENGTH, 9 INCHES; WIDTH, 6 1/4 INCHES. TLINGIT INDIANS (KOLUSCHAN STOCK), ALASKA. 21,572." Mask was originally catalogued as "Koloshian", but identification was later changed to Haida at an unknown time by an unknown person.Mask was originally catalogued as "Koloshian", but identification was later changed to Haida at an unknown time by an unknown person. “Carved wooden masks. These of women represent the face of an Alaska married woman. The lower lip pierced with large piece of ivory. The married women are recognized by this feature (and ring in nose.)” And, mask “is a facsimile of the face of the ordinary Alaska Indian woman (the lower lip pierced) all married woman observe this custom but a shirt silver needle or pin would better represent prevailing custom, excepting in women somewhat advanced in years.” per White's original catalog in the NAA.

Per Anthropology catalogue ledger book and Dall's field catalogue, filed under Accession No. 3258, entry under # 604, collector is [Captain] A. [Amos] T. Whitford and object is from Sitka Tlingit.

FROM CARD: "9267-70. #9270-TLINGIT TOBACCO PIPE-ILLUS. IN USNM AR, 1888; P. 48, FIG. 268; P. 322."Florence Sheakley, Ruth Demmert, and Virginia Oliver during the Tlingit Recovering Voices Community Research Visit, March 13-March 24, 2017. This pipe is made from metal and wood, and has a metal inset.

FROM CARD: "CEDAR BARK. USED IN THE 1ST AND 3RD DANCE. ILLUS. IN USNM REPT, 1895; FIG. 79; P. 450."

From card: "Carved from black slate; well executed. The Shaman wears a mask headdress a cedar rope bandolier and a ceremonial blanket."Comment from Graduate Student Research Paper, "A Report on Accession #42610 of the National Museum of Natural History", written by Athena Hsieh in April 2012, for the class "Anthropology in the Museum" taught by NMNH Curator, Dr. J. Daniel Rogers for the George Washington University. Approved for inclusion into notes by Dr. Igor Krupnik. Dr. Krupnik and NMNH has not verified the contents of the comment below, and suggests future researchers verify the remarks before citing Ms. Hsieh. The complete paper is attached to the accession record of this object in EMu. See Notes for catalog number E231009 for additional information on argillite. "This object, too, is carved from argillite, and may also have been a piece by Charles Edensaw, who became chief of the Sdeldás of the Eagle people (Wikipedia 2011), due to the eagle carved on the back of the figure's headdress. It is possible that this figure is not, in fact, a shaman. Rather, it is likely a representation of a chief: “When a chief died, they painted his face, put his head-dress on, his rattle in his hand, and his blanket around him...” (Swanton 1905, 54). Also in Swanton's publication were drawings of wood carvings representing shamans, all of which included a long, rod-shaped piercing through the nose (41) (See Appendix C- Illustrations from page 41 of Swanton's “Contributions to the Ethnology of the Haida.” These show examples of wooden carvings representing shamans. Notice the nose piercing in all three carvings. There is no such piercing on the argillite carving in Accession 42610.). Swanton, John R. 1905. “Contributions to the Ethnology of the Haida” in Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History 8-1. New York: G. E. Stechert. Swanton, John R. 1905. Haida Texts and Myths: Skidegate Dialect. Washington: Government Printing Office. Wikipedia. 2011. “Charles Edenshaw.” Last modified November 6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Edenshaw."

From card: "(A & D) Illus. Bu. Ethno. Ann. Report #26, p. 420, fig. 106. Note: Apparently prior to Dec. 1969 these specimens had not been numbered. The former dimensions and quantity (1) were also in error as shown in the old catalog book. Previous attributions to James Swan now seem to have little basis. -GP (George Phebus). Bear crest designs. See: The Far North, Nat'l. Gallery of Art, Washington, 1973, Pl. 235, pg. 188-189 (where all 4 are illustrated). Loaned to the National Gallery of Art October 20, (19)72. Returned 5-29-(19)73. A & C Loaned to Renwick 7/28/(19)82. Returned 1983. (Excerpt from exhibit catalogue for Renwick exhibit, called Celebration, A World of Art and Ritual, is taped to back of card. Objects are described as: "House screens, ca. 1850-1900, Tlingit Indians; Wrangell, Alaska, wood, fiber lashing, red and black paint, non-Indian frames." ... cont., see card.According to Eric Hollinger, Repatriation Office, Feb. 2007, E233498 was originally a pair of house screens measuring 7ft by 14 ft each. Both screens were sawed in half after they arrived at the museum and framed. Red borders were painted on each of the four sections and the same red paint was then applied to touch-up the red paint of the figures (based on Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute XRF analysis). Screen E233498A originally articulated with E233498D but they were separated when they were sawed in two within the museum. E233498A was on the left and E233498D was on the right. E233498B was originally articulated with E233498C before it also was sawed in two pieces within the museum. E233498B was on the right side and E233498C was on the left side. The screens were purchased by John R. Swanton from Mrs. Robert Shadesty in Wrangell, Alaska in 1904. See the Repatriation Office Tlingit case report (Hollinger et al. 2005).Florence Sheakley, Shirley Kendall, and Alan Zuboff, all three elders, made the following comments during the Tlingit Recovering Voices Community Research Visit, March 13-March 24, 2017. Screens like these were used in houses to separate compartments, with screens in the back and the front of the house. Florence gives the Tlingit word for these screens (rv_Tlingit_20170320_004; 9:59). Alan pointed out that since there was no smoke line or sun bleaching, they were likely used indoors. Shirley commented that screens like this were no longer being made when she was growin up.

From card: "Bird carving painted; eyes set with abalone. Probably peak of a basket hat. Much decayed."

Anthropology catalogue ledger book calls this Army Medical Museum # 439, but that number may not be correct. It may instead be 443 (or even 444)?

FROM CARD: "2ND HEAD-RING OF LAXXALIALAYU. ILLUS. IN USNM REPT, 1895; FIG. 93; P. 457."