The Plateau region encompasses the eastern portion of Washington State, northern Idaho and Montana, as well as parts of Alberta and British Columbia. Only one cradle in MPM’s collection originates from this region: a trough- or bag-like Lillooet cradle woven in an imbricated (overlapping or scaled) design from roots and bark. The imbricated weaving technique was used by groups from the Plateau and Northwest Costal regions to make carrying containers and cradles because it created a water-tight seal. Some woven cradles included a curved wooden bow and lacing in their design. Geometrical linear designs were often created by dyeing or weaving with different plant materials. These cradles were carried in the arms or suspended from a pole or tree to rock gently. Because of the regional overlap of Plains and Great Basin tribes, variants of the “inverted U” cradles of the northwestern Plains, as well as the flat-boarded cradle of the Northeast, were also a common cradle type in the Plateau.
