Paiute Cradleboard

During his or her first month of life, a Northern Paiute baby was placed in a soft basket and carried in the arms of loved ones. The basket did not indicate the gender of the child. During this month, the child's first balsa cradle was made. As the child grew, a series of cradles were made to accommodate growth. A Paiute balsa cradle was made of a flat, wedge-shaped base of willow rods with a simple awning to protect the baby from the weather and injury.
The gender of the baby dictated the designs on the cradleboard. A wooden frame supported a twined basket backing and curved hood to cover the baby. The hood was decorated with a zigzag design for a girl and a row of inclined dashes for a boy. A skin, decorated with beads, covered the cradle. After the baby outgrew the cradle, it was destroyed.
Cradle in Northern Paiute language: hübbə

Front-facing view of the cradle.