HSU Library Special Collections catalog number 1999.02.0213

The Wiyot people have lived in the Humboldt Bay Region for thousands of years. Beginning in the 1850s, the influx of Euro-American settlers and miners, along with the establishment of such towns as Uniontown (Arcata) drastically altered indigenous lifeways and population. In this photo taken before 1894, this Wiyot family wears Western clothes, and uses the traditional cradle basket (perátanuwe). Cradle baskets are typically made of hazel shoots made strong from frequent burns of the plant. A strand of beads across the top forms the “life line” which should never be broken, and which was only grabbed to keep the baby’s head above water if a canoe capsized. The cradle basket keeps the newborn securely “swaddled” and comfortable. The basket was not passed on, but discarded when it was outgrown. The “one eleven” tattoo on the woman’s chin represents the good heart and responsibility of the woman to care for the community, and often identified her as one held in high regard. As elsewhere in California, it was often the women who assumed the role of “culture broker,” providing the thread of continuity from generation to generation. Although the Wiyot adopted the “white man’s” house and boats, Wiyot women continued to raise their children and feed their families in the old ways. And while the role of Wiyot men changed dramatically as they entered into agriculture and timber production, native women maintained traditional culture in the household. This was true even as Wiyot women married into alien Western European culture. Information provided by Hélène Rouvier, Wiyot Cultural Director. Digital restoration completed by Michelle Hernandez, Wiyot Tribe Intern.