California Mission Basket c 1910 A3074

Measures 9" x 9" x 5". Native American baskets from the Southern California region, and sometimes greater California, are often referred to as “mission” baskets. The term “mission” was first designated by A.L. Kroeber in 1922 in reference to a style of baskets made by people subjugated under the Franciscan mission system, c. 1769-1834. Some argue that the “mission” designation refers to the concept of hybridization of traditions, as Southern California peoples were forcibly moved around, coming into contact with each other and being exposed to different ideas. However, as has been noted by scholars, the hybrid concept implies that these baskets are somehow lesser than those stemming from their  “pure” parent traditions, and ultimately privileges external and imposed definitions of progress. Baskets from Southern California Native peoples generally share a number of common elements in technology and structure, with a range of types and uses. These baskets are often coiled with a knot s