This whimsical alligator effigy basket with a lidded back is Chitimacha in origin. It is coiled with longleaf pine needles.The stitches and features are of raffia. The "scales" are created with pine cone seeds. This piece was made by Emile Stouff, who was chief of the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana (Sovereign Nation of the Chitimacha) from 1950 to 1969. In addition to being a Tribal Chief, Stouff was a basket maker and craftsman who owned and operated a popular craft shop on the reservation.