May 5, 2002 through January 5, 2003 Coiled, Made for Sale Baskets by Sarah Hunter, circa 1940 Of Myth and Memory, an exhibition of Indian baskets from California¹s Owens Valley, was originally organized and toured by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. This exhibit of 70 Paiute and Shoshone baskets presents the tumultuous social history of Owens Valley. Located between the Sierra mountains and the Death Valley Desert, Paiute and Shoshone Indians lived in this rugged valley for thousands of years. They practiced a semi-nomadic lifestyle, and utilized the region¹s rich natural resources, in large part thanks to their basketry. Basketmaking Through the Generations, circa 1939, Photograph by Burton Frosher, Sr. Beginning with the mid-nineteenth century arrival of non-Indians, traditional Paiute and Shoshone culture changed dramatically. The introduction of ranching and farming, forced relocation of Native peoples, and the Los Angeles Aqueduct Project all greatly impacted Owens Valley Indians. They, in turn, adapted to these ogoing social and economic changes in innovative ways. Their ability to retain their cultural traditions while adapted to the realites of mdern life can be traced through changes that occured in the designs, materials, and functions of their baskets. This exhibit examines these changes and celebrates the legacy that still survives. Owens Valley, CA, photograph by Sharon Dean, 1998 Coiled Bowl, by Isabel Hanson, circa 1939 Shoshone Water Storage Basket, Made by Mamie Juaquin, circa 1925