Comment from Graduate Student Research Paper, "A Report on Accession #42610 of the National Museum of Natural History", written by Athena Hsieh in April 2012, for the class "Anthropology in the Museum" taught by NMNH Curator, Dr. J. Daniel Rogers for the George Washington University. Approved for inclusion into notes by Dr. Igor Krupnik. Dr. Krupnik and NMNH has not verified the contents of the comment below, and suggests future researchers verify the remarks before citing Ms. Hsieh. The complete paper is attached to the accession record of this object in EMu. "This spoon is the second object in this collection described as Nootka in its documentation and is carved from a dark-colored wood. Though the individual who typed the catalog card wrote in a confident tone and stated his/her reasons for documenting the spoon as s/he did, no records on “B Isucker” were found in searches through the National Anthropological Archives or online search engines. However, subsequent internet searches revealed almost no images for “Nootka spoons,” but showed two examples of “Kwakiutl spoons,” both with curved handles and a bird's head carved into their ends, listed for auction(7). On the other hand, information written directly on the back of the spoon reads “Nootka, 231013, J.W. Swanton, L.P.X.” Since Swanton's middle initial is incorrect, it is difficult to completely trust the Nootka attribution assigned to this object. The straight beak on the bird suggests that the carving is of a raven, not an eagle, which in turn suggests that this spoon was made for and used by someone in the Raven lineage. The spoon was painted on both sides. A human figure, which may represent the Raven in human form, a motif commonly found in Northwest coast cultural objects, is painted on the back. The image painted in the bowl of the spoon remains unidentified. Citations: (7)- Christie's: http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=2077540 Seahawk Auctions: http://www.seahawkauctions.com/auctions/25/page85.html"E-231013: Painted Wooden Spoon “Nootka, West Coast Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Carved from wood and painted in red and black. The end of the handle is carved in the form of a birds head. Spoon is undoubtedly of Southern Kwakiutl manufacture, on basis of painting, and because Nootka did not make wooden spoon or ladles but bought them from Kwaks. B Isucker.” (Catalog card)

FROM CARD: "CARVED WOODEN KILLER WHALE WITH LONG FLAT UPRIGHT BACK FIN. PAINTED BLACK. MADE TO WEAR ON TOP OF HEAD, WITH CORDS FOR TYING UNDER WEARER'S CHIN. 'FORMERLY PROPERTY OF OLD SHAKES [Sheiyksh], FORMER CHIEF OF THE NANYAAYI [Naanya.aayí].' ILLUS. BAE AR 26, 1904-05, FIG. 104, P. 418."

From card: "Carved from black slate; well executed. The Shaman wears a mask headdress a cedar rope bandolier and a ceremonial blanket."Comment from Graduate Student Research Paper, "A Report on Accession #42610 of the National Museum of Natural History", written by Athena Hsieh in April 2012, for the class "Anthropology in the Museum" taught by NMNH Curator, Dr. J. Daniel Rogers for the George Washington University. Approved for inclusion into notes by Dr. Igor Krupnik. Dr. Krupnik and NMNH has not verified the contents of the comment below, and suggests future researchers verify the remarks before citing Ms. Hsieh. The complete paper is attached to the accession record of this object in EMu. See Notes for catalog number E231009 for additional information on argillite. "This object, too, is carved from argillite, and may also have been a piece by Charles Edensaw, who became chief of the Sdeldás of the Eagle people (Wikipedia 2011), due to the eagle carved on the back of the figure's headdress. It is possible that this figure is not, in fact, a shaman. Rather, it is likely a representation of a chief: “When a chief died, they painted his face, put his head-dress on, his rattle in his hand, and his blanket around him...” (Swanton 1905, 54). Also in Swanton's publication were drawings of wood carvings representing shamans, all of which included a long, rod-shaped piercing through the nose (41) (See Appendix C- Illustrations from page 41 of Swanton's “Contributions to the Ethnology of the Haida.” These show examples of wooden carvings representing shamans. Notice the nose piercing in all three carvings. There is no such piercing on the argillite carving in Accession 42610.). Swanton, John R. 1905. “Contributions to the Ethnology of the Haida” in Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History 8-1. New York: G. E. Stechert. Swanton, John R. 1905. Haida Texts and Myths: Skidegate Dialect. Washington: Government Printing Office. Wikipedia. 2011. “Charles Edenshaw.” Last modified November 6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Edenshaw."

From card: "(A & D) Illus. Bu. Ethno. Ann. Report #26, p. 420, fig. 106. Note: Apparently prior to Dec. 1969 these specimens had not been numbered. The former dimensions and quantity (1) were also in error as shown in the old catalog book. Previous attributions to James Swan now seem to have little basis. -GP (George Phebus). Bear crest designs. See: The Far North, Nat'l. Gallery of Art, Washington, 1973, Pl. 235, pg. 188-189 (where all 4 are illustrated). Loaned to the National Gallery of Art October 20, (19)72. Returned 5-29-(19)73. A & C Loaned to Renwick 7/28/(19)82. Returned 1983. (Excerpt from exhibit catalogue for Renwick exhibit, called Celebration, A World of Art and Ritual, is taped to back of card. Objects are described as: "House screens, ca. 1850-1900, Tlingit Indians; Wrangell, Alaska, wood, fiber lashing, red and black paint, non-Indian frames." ... cont., see card.According to Eric Hollinger, Repatriation Office, Feb. 2007, E233498 was originally a pair of house screens measuring 7ft by 14 ft each. Both screens were sawed in half after they arrived at the museum and framed. Red borders were painted on each of the four sections and the same red paint was then applied to touch-up the red paint of the figures (based on Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute XRF analysis). Screen E233498A originally articulated with E233498D but they were separated when they were sawed in two within the museum. E233498A was on the left and E233498D was on the right. E233498B was originally articulated with E233498C before it also was sawed in two pieces within the museum. E233498B was on the right side and E233498C was on the left side. The screens were purchased by John R. Swanton from Mrs. Robert Shadesty in Wrangell, Alaska in 1904. See the Repatriation Office Tlingit case report (Hollinger et al. 2005).Florence Sheakley, Shirley Kendall, and Alan Zuboff, all three elders, made the following comments during the Tlingit Recovering Voices Community Research Visit, March 13-March 24, 2017. Screens like these were used in houses to separate compartments, with screens in the back and the front of the house. Florence gives the Tlingit word for these screens (rv_Tlingit_20170320_004; 9:59). Alan pointed out that since there was no smoke line or sun bleaching, they were likely used indoors. Shirley commented that screens like this were no longer being made when she was growin up.

From card: "A) cylindrical shaft, carved head..."Listed on page 49 in "The Exhibits of the Smithsonian Institution at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, California, 1915", in section "Arts of the Northwest Coast Tribes (Tools)".