From card: "Loan: Museo Nacional de Antropologia, 5/18/64." Loan returned 2012.

From card: "Wood; carved in relief; painted black, red, and blue; corners dovetailed (perhaps by a Chinese carpenter). Bought by James G. Swan from Captain Skedance [a.k.a. Skedans], Chief of Cumshewa, October 9, 1883. Illus.: P. 43, Pl. 240b, Celebrations catalogue, Smithsonian Press, 1982." Note: object has multiple catalogue cards with slight variations of above; see scanned cards. Box does not currently have a lid; it is unclear if there was one when it was accessioned.Provenience note: Swan's original list identifies this chest as bought from Skedans, chief of Cumshewa. Skedans was often used as the name for both the hereditary chief and the town of Skedans (Haida names for this town include Qoona, K'uuna, Koona, Q'una, Koona LLnaagay, K'uuna Llnagaay, Q!o'na Inaga'-I, and Q:o'na). Skedans the town is located on the Cumshewa inlet, so perhaps that is what Swan is indicating when he lists the locality as Cumshewa, rather than the town of Cumshewa?Source of the information below: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge website, by Aron Crowell, entry on this artifact http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=630 , retrieved 4-28-2011: Chest This chest for storing ceremonial regalia belonged to Gida'nsta [Gidansta], chief of Skedans. The front panel shows Raven grasping two human figures dressed in rod armor. The image on the side panels is probably Xyuu, Southeast Wind, whose ten brothers were clouds. One of them, Cirrus Clouds, may be represented here by eyes and feathers on either side of Raven. Cirrus clouds were the potlatch attire of Tangghwan Llaana (Sea Dweller), the supreme ocean spirit, who belonged to the Raven moiety, and were also thought to represent bird-skin clothing that Shining Heavens, a sky deity, put on to bring fair weather.This object is on loan to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, from 2010 through 2027.

From card: "4/4/1968 This specimen is missing but two specimens, unnumbered, may have been mistaken since they have red borders although the blanket is actually brown. Tentatively they are numbered 89,l98 A & B. - GP. Killer whale motif. 89198b- Illus. : CROSSROADS OF CONTINENTS catalogue; Fig. 431. p.304." Crossroads caption identifies as: "Button Blanket, Haida. Squatting skeletized humanoids ... with wood dorsal fins emerging from their chests, cover the back of this appliqued dogfish button blanket. The dogfish, a clan crest, is recognized by its arched head and downturned, toothed mouth. Humanoid faces mark the joints of the fins, tail, and dorsal fins. A double row of buttons edges the red flannel border that frames three sides of the robe."Source of the information below: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge website, by Aron Crowell, entry on this artifact http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=185 , retrieved 5-17-2012: Button robe or button blanket, Haida.

Echini are presumably sea urchins. E88759 - 61 are on the list of objects purchased by Swan in Masset, a Haida town, in July 1883. The catalogue card lists them as Haida. However, the catalogue card also lists them as "Chilcat Inds." The source of this Chilkat attribution is unknown, though it may perhaps be a misreading of the original Anthropology catalogue ledger book, which identifies E88752, whose entry is on the same page and above the entries for these nets, as of Chilkat origin.

This object is on loan to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, from 2010 through 2027. Paddle 1 of 2 (also called E72675A) only is on loan to AMRC. Second paddle, paddle 2 of 2, is on exhibit in Sant Ocean Hall NMNH, 2008.Source of the information below: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge website, by Aron Crowell, entry on paddle 1 of 2, also called E72675A, http://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=602 , retrieved 6-24-2012: Canoe Paddle Haida canoe paddles were made of red or yellow cypress and ornamented with clan crest designs to match images painted on the boat itself. The paddles have wide grips and pointed tips. With a full complement of paddlers (up to eight men and women) Haida canoes were swift and maneuverable. After contact with European traders, the Haida added sails to their boats.