PAIR OF SNOWSHOES MADE WITH A BENT WOOD FRAME WITH RAWHIDE (MUCH OF IT HAS FUR) NETTING. PUBLICATION: ILLUSTRATION IN USNM ANNUAL REPORT, 1894, FIG. 92, P. 408.FROM CARD: "ILLUS. IN USNM AR, 1894; FIG. 92; P. 408." Identified in publication as "Columbia River, Washington."Peale catalogue identifies these as "Snow shoes worn by the natives of the interior of Northwestern America."

From card: "Oak frame with two braces, pointed toe and heel, toe curved up. Foot netting of finely woven prepared buckskin or babiche, fastened over braces and frames, protected from chafing by pieces of cloth, heel and toe netting of finer babiche rove through the frame. Sides of frame ornamented with tufts of red flannel. Deerskin strips for fastening toe part to the boot."These snowshoes resemble a pair illustrated in Figure 240d, after p. 138 in Catlin, George. Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs and Conditions of North American Indians: Volume II, 1841. Catlin identifies them as Sioux.See U.S. National Museum Annual Report for 1894, p. 405, where these snowshoes are described and identified as a Cree type.

From card: "Hudson Bay type. Toes turned up."

From 19th or early 20th century exhibit label with card: "Snow-shoes Round [illegible], round toe, strongly curved up; long, pointed heel. Toe and heel netting of twisted deer sinews; foot netting, coarse strong mahout, all rove through frame. Right and left, a slight difference being made in the curves of the frames. Secured to foot by two short loops over toes, and a long one around foot above heel. Length 47 ins. Greatest breadth, 11 3/4 ins. Sitka, Alaska, 1882. Collected by John J. McLean. Used by the Chilkaht-tena (Tinneh or Kaiyuh-Kha-tana) [rest of text cut off.] Chilkaht-tena may be Inland Tlingit? Tinneh = Athabaskan? Kaiyuh-Kha-tana may mean Ingalik/Deg Hit'an? Anthropology catalogue ledger book identifies these objects as Chilkaht River, SE Alaska. A letter filed in Accession 12209 dated Sept. 23, 1882 from Sitka, Alaska, written by John J. McLean to Spencer Baird, seems to describe artifacts in accession 12214 rather than those of Acc. 12209. The letter indicates that the snowshoes are from "Chilcaht" and are of "modern manufacture."

The paint is red.