Indian Design Patterns: Western

C.W. Jefferys' notes about this picture from The Picture Gallery of Canadian History Volume 1

The Indians decorated their clothing, utensils, weapons, etc., with designs created by themselves, and applied by means of painting, carving, incising, weaving and embroidery. Each great region of the country developed its own type of design. Some of the most distinct styles are illustrated in these pages; but for detailed information special books must be consulted and museum collections must be examined. The best introduction to the study of Canadian Indian design is An Album of Prehistoric Canadian Art, by Harlan I. Smith, issued by the Victoria Memorial Museum, Ottawa, which includes many drawings, and a list of books and articles on the subject, and of museums containing specimens.

Much of the Indian decoration of today has been influenced y European designs, materials and tools; but even when this is the case, native originality is often seen in their application. Thus, in particular, the tall totem poles placed outside the houses date from the coming of the whites, who brought steel tools which made it possible to produce such elaborate objects. Further information concerning them will be given in Vol. 2