The Koasati Indians, also known as the Coushatta, of Elton have long produced coiled pinestraw baskets stitched with raffia and decorated with raffia and pinecones. While both the size of the coil and the spacing of the stitches vary, the closer the stitch and the smaller the coil, the stronger the basket is, and therefore, the higher quality the basket. Produced by many women in the tribe, these baskets have become an important source of community pride. Here, Marion John displays a pinestraw basket using the wheat stitch
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Photographer: Nicholas R. Spitzer

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