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Cub Scouts Experience Local History

By VERNON ROBISON

Moapa Valley Progress

Assisted by her great grand-daughter Chyler Cooper, Beezy Tobiasson shows a group of local Cub Scouts how to strip a willow branch to prepare it for a basketmaking project during a recent tour of the Old Logandale School Museum. PHOTO BY VERNON ROBISON/Moapa Valley Progress.

A group of local Cub Scouts celebrated Pioneer Day by a visit to the Old Logandale School on Wednesday morning, July 24. The boys from Logandale Cub Scout Pack 26 learned about the history of the Moapa Valley community from Beezy Tobiasson, President of the Old Logandale School Historical and Cultural Society (OLSHACS).

Tobiasson began by guiding the boys through a tour of the OLSHACS collection at the School. This included many bits and pieces from the lives of pioneers who settled the Muddy River valley.

Special attention was given to the museum’s collection of hand-made Native American willow baskets and cradle boards.

Tobiasson pointed out examples of winnowing baskets which, she said, were used to scoop up pine nuts off the ground. Once they picked up a scoop of pine nuts, they would use the shake the basket back and forth to winnow out the dirt and pine needles leaving just the pine nuts in the baskets, Tobiasson explained.

Tobiasson also showed the collection of cradle boards that are in the museum. These items, also fashioned from woven willow boughs, were used by Native American mothers to carry their infant children.

After the Cub Scouts saw examples of these Native American items, they were given a chance to try their hands at preparing willows for weaving. Tobiasson had brought a large bundle of willow boughs which were fresh cut and still green. She taught the Scouts how to strip the boughs, removing all of the leaves. With a common kitchen paring knife, she then demonstrated how to scrape the willow boughs to make them more pliable for weaving. The scraped willows are then bundled together and allowed to dry before the weaving project can begin, Tobiasson explained.

Cub Scouts from local Pack 26 try their hands at stripping willows during a tour of the Old Logandale School Museum on Pioneer Day last week. PHOTO BY VERNON ROBISON/Moapa Valley Progress.

Tobiasson showed some examples of willow baskets that she had made herself. She explained that designs with darker colored materials weaved in with the willows were possible. One darker colored material used by Native Americans is a plant called the Devil’s Claw, Tobiasson said. This plant is also sometimes referred to as the hooky bean. Much harder and more brittle than the willow, these materials had to be soaked in water for a long time before they could be used in the weaving process, Tobiasson said.

After her demonstration Tobiasson handed out paring knives to each of the boys. Of course, this offered an opportunity for the Cub Scout leaders to discuss some basic knife safety procedures with the boys. Then each boy had the chance to scrape his own willow boughs.

In all of this, Tobiasson was assisted by her great grand-daughter Chyler Cooper who has learned the process from Beezy and has become quite skilled at crafting willow basketry.

Other Native handicrafts were also on display for the boys to see. Tobiasson showed the boys an example of a Native American drum made with animal hide stretched across a wooden ring and tighted with animal sinew. Each boy got a chance to beat on the drum.

Local resident and Navajo Indian Geraldine Bow was present at the Old Logandale School that day. She had set up a table and showed the boys her magnificent colorful bead work.

“It was fun to have the boys come and be able to experience these things,” said Tobiasson. “All of this is an important part of their heritage as residents of this Valley.”

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