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1 of 253523 objects
Basket ( 1860
Birch, porcupine quill | 18.0 x 23.0 x 16.0 cm (whole object) | RCIN 84335
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Birch-bark basket (makak) with plaited quillwork handle and quillwork leaf pattern in orange, green and white on sides and top.
The identity of the maker of this makak is uncertain today. A quilled tag within says 'Nancy Naugon' and a contemporary handwritten label states 'Mrs John Rice Lake'. Historic Royal Household records associate the basket with Elizabeth (Betsy) Crowe.
Nancy Naugon was 37 in 1860, married to John, a hunter, and living in a frame 1 ½ storey house with their four children. They were all born at Rice Lake.
Elizabeth (Betsy) Crowe, aged 55 in 1861, was the wife of Chief John Crowe. Betsy is listed on the census as unable to read or write, living in a log home with John, three children and Sarah Copway. In addition to Betsy’s gift to the Prince, John presented him with a decorated war club.
Supplementary biographical information provided by Dr Laura Peers, Dr Lori Beavis and community members.
This basket is one of more than a dozen birchbark containers presented as gifts to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) in September 1860 by Michi Saagiig women. The prince visited the community at Rice Lake Village (now Hiawatha First Nation), Ontario, during a landmark two-month tour of Canada – the first royal tour of these territories.
The baskets are known as ‘makaks’ in Anishnaabemowin, an Indigenous language spoken by the Mississauga First Nation community. Most are decorated with porcupine quillwork using a combination of Indigenous geometric and European-inspired floral designs. Unusually, the names of the women who made the makaks are preserved, on handwritten paper labels or quilled birchbark tags.
The meeting at Rice Lake was an important opportunity for community members to acknowledge and renew their special relationship with the Crown. Gimaa (Chief) Paudash made a speech expressing their identity as sovereign nations allied to the Crown – a bond which stretched back hundreds of years. The presentation of the makaks and other gifts signified the renewal of these allegiances and obligations.
After the prince’s return to Britain, the makaks were displayed in the Swiss Cottage Museum at Osborne House, Isle of Wight.
Provenance
Presented to Prince Albert Edward (future King Edward VII) by Elizabeth Crow at Rice Lake, Ontario, August 1860
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Creator(s)
(nationality)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
Birch, porcupine quill
Measurements
18.0 x 23.0 x 16.0 cm (whole object)
Category
Object type(s)
Place of Production
Rice Lake [Ontario]
