Today, we have such a variety of pots and pans and other
containers that it is amazing to realize that in the past, baskets served
all of the food preparation and storage needs of some people. Baskets
were the earliest handmade containers, and in the Southwest every basket
was decorated. Today Tohono O'odham (Papago) women make more baskets than
any other group in the Southwest. The Tohono O'odham are closely related
to the Akimel O'odham (Pima) people, living just to the south of the Akimel
O'odham (Pima) in Arizona. The two groups share many designs, which makes
it difficult to distinguish their baskets from one another. |