FOUR SIDED BIRCH BARK BUCKET, FRENCH NAME MIKOK OR MUKAK, WITH BIRCH BARK LID AND SKIN HANDLE. BARK LASHED TOGETHER WITH SPLIT SPRUCE ROOT. RIM REINFORCED WITH ASH WOOD SPLINTS. HANDLE MADE OF TANNED LEATHER THONG. SURFACE ETCHING OF PLANT DESIGN ON ALL FOUR WALLS AND LID. LID LASHING IS BROKEN IN FOUR AREAS. COLLAR OF LID GLUED AS WELL AS STITCHED TO LID TOP. PENCIL AND INK MARKINGS VISIBLE BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF BUCKET. PURCHASED IN 1979 FOR $25.00 FROM IROQRAFTS, OHSWEKEN, SIX NATIONS RESERVE, ONTARIO, CANADA BY MS. E. BARRIE KAVASH FOR SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION TRAVELING EXHIBITION SERVICE (SITES) NATIVE HARVESTS EXHIBIT.

From card: "The basket carries a floral design on top and sides. Made by using white and yellow porcupine quills. Embroidered."It is possible that this object has the same provenance/was acquired in the same place as the small bark canoe E379948, as both artifacts are listed in the accession file and on their cards as Montagnais from Quebec. Written on E379948 in old handwriting: "Chicoutimi, Chateau Saguenay, made by Montagnais Indians"; there also appears to be a price marked of "25." Chicoutimi is a town name, which is now part of Saguenay, Quebec. Chateau Saguenay was the name of a tourist hotel, built in 1898. Per Adriana Greci Green, the style of manufacture of this box resembles Odawa/Anishinaabe or Ojibwa more than Montagnais.

OVAL BIRCH BARK BOX WITH LID. RIM AND BASE REINFORCED WITH PLANT FIBERS STITCHED TO WALLS OF BOX WITH BLACK COTTON THREAD. PLANT FIBERS AND RED DYED PORCUPINE QUILLS STITCHED TO LID WITH BLACK COTTON THREAD. WALLS DECORATED WITH FLOWER DESIGN IN RED AND GREEN DYED QUILL WORK. LID DECORATED WITH TULIP DESIGN IN RED AND GREEN DYED QUILL WORK WITH EIGHT WHITE QUILL STITCHES ON EACH SIDE. ONE WHITE QUILL IS BROKEN. MADE IN CANADA TAG ATTACHED TO BOX BOTTOM. PURCHASED FROM IROQRAFTS, OHSWEKEN, SIX NATIONS RESERVE, ONTARIO, CANADA BY MS. E. BARRIE KAVASCH FOR SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION TRAVELING EXHIBITION SERVICE (SITES) NATIVE HARVESTS EXHIBIT IN 1979.

FROM CARD: "MADE OF TWO FLAT PIECES OF BIRCHBARK SEPARATED AT THE SIDES WITH 1/4" THICK PIECES OF WOOD, AND BOUND INTO A FLAT POUCH OR CASE WITH STRIPS OF BRAIDED PORCUPINE QUILLS."There are incised drawings and markings on the bark on both sides of this container, including what appear to be American/European sailing ships and houses? At one time, this object had been possibly identified as part of the Wilkes/U.S. Exploring Expedition collection, but Jane Walsh doubts that attribution. Other possible sources might be the National Institute or John Varden collections, or the War Department Collection?