CHAPTER III
THE TEXTILE ARTS
The subject now before us is far less intelligible to the layman than any of the preceding, chiefly because it deals with definite processes or crafts which must be mastered to be thoroughly understood. This cannot be expected even of professional anthropologists, who must necessarily be guided by the statements of textile experts. With such guidance we may, however, safely proceed to a general view of the subject.
There seem to be but four classes of textile fiber in general use: wool, bast, cotton, and silk. Of these, aboriginal America used all but the last. The sheep was not found here, but the hair of the Rocky Mountain goat was used in western Canada and also that of a dog bred for that purpose. In the bison area, particularly on the lower Mississippi, buffalo hair was spun. Mexico and Central America seem not to have used wool of any kind, no doubt because it was not available. The same may be said of Colombia and parts of Ecuador. As soon, however, as the range of the llama, vicuña and alpaca is reached, their respective wools come into use. Some archæological data indicate that at one time their use extended far down into Chile and out into Argentina.
Of bast fibers we have a respectable list. Even as far north as the caribou area willow bark was used. On the Pacific coast of Canada cedarbark fiber, and inland in the salmon area sagebrush bark were used, extending far down among the Shoshonean tribes of the United States. In California the plants Iris, Asolepias and Apocyrum were used for string twisting. In the bison area practically no bark fiber was used, but about the Great Lakes and eastward, basswood or linn bark was largely employed. Occasionally, cornhusk fiber was utilized. In southeastern United States, particularly on the lower Mississippi, the fibers of Indian hemp and pem-
