Description

"This birch bark food basket is very low and long, 19 inches by 12 3/4 inches, with gently sloping sides. On the outside it is almost white birch, but inside it is darker. It was given to me by Mr. and Mrs. J. Selkirk, both full-blood Chippewas (Ojibwa) who were in the Indian Service, he as a boys' adviser and she as a matron in the Boys' Building at Wahpeton. This basket had been used by Mr. Selkirk's father and mother who were very old, and they wanted me to have this food basket for my collection." Note in 4/24/1952 Pope County Tribune says it was used to harvest wild rice and was made and used by Mr. Selkirk's grandmother.

This is definitely and item that was used for its intended purpose. It has a large burn mark on the side.