Weaving Culture: Aesthetic Ethnohistory of Yup'ik Eskimo Grass Baskets

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This research would investigate the correspondence between change in the Central Yup'ik culture of southwestern Alaska and woven basket design, composition, and style. Over the last century, this culture has been dramatically impacted by association with western culture. The extent to which cultural impact alters basic life patterns will be investigated in this research. One of the prominent cultural activities of this group has been the production of woven baskets, and several museums have collections covering the last 100 years. The project will examine, categorize, and statistically analyze the design, construction and style of woven baskets collected over this time period. The investigator will conduct in-depth interviews with basket makers to develop data on the linkage between basket making and cultural change. As few written records document cultural change in this ethnic group, this work may lead to insight into cultural adaptation in response to changing and prominent western influences.