Northern California — Cradleboards: Carriers of Culture Part VIII
Explore how cradleboards across Native nations reflect care, craftsmanship, and cultural traditions from tribe to tribe
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Cradles of Northern California
In the far western United States, Northern California is home to the Hupa of the Trinity River valley and the Pomo of the Russian River and Pacific coast north of San Francisco. Their cradleboards reflect deep ties to the land and generations of skilled makers.
HUPA (HOOPA)
Members of the Hupa (pronounced Hoo-pa) tribe create a cradleboard that is shaped like a slipper with the lower end of the cradle enclosed like the toe of a slipper. It is woven of hazel rods twined together with elements of root fiber.
Hupa CradleboardRed Earth
Function and comfort in every cradle detail
The seat of the cradle is at the lower, broader wedged end and contains a pocket that is often filled with absorbent material and fragrant herbs. A bowl-shaped sunshade of openwork basketry is attached to the upper portion to protect the baby's face from sun and flies.
Objects meant to entertain the baby including tiny baskets and feathers are suspended from the hoop. Additional cradle padding would include pounded or shredded fibers, inner bark or the skin of a fawn filled with moss. While still small, a Hupa baby spent most of his or her time in the cradle; as the child matured, he or she was placed there only to sleep or travel until about three years of age.
The grandmother made the cradleboard in Hupa tradition
In Hupa tradition the maternal grandmother would make the cradleboard. For 10 days she and the child remained in the birthing lodge as the mother sat or lay over a pit where heated rocks were covered with wet sand to help her heal from any injuries.
If the child was a boy, the mother was obliged to eat alone for 40 days and was forbidden meat and fresh fish. For a baby girl, the term of isolation was 50 days.
Hupa/Yurok CradleboardRed Earth
Acorns, deer, and salmon sustained Hupa life
The Hupa were concentrated in the Hoopa Valley of northern California. Their main food source was the acorn, but they also hunted deer which were abundant in the forests and fished the salmon from the Northern California rivers.
The position of chief was more important in Hupa tribal structure than with many California tribes, but other levels of hierarchy were important primarily during ceremonies.
A Hupa village was semi-permanent and contained two types of houses. The first type was used mainly for sleeping. It was about 20 feet square with the center excavated to about five feet. The second type was a smaller sweat lodge used by men.
Cradle in Hupa language: xe:qlay
POMO
Traditionally Pomo infants spent their first month in a temporary cradle of matting and were then transferred to the permanent basketry cradle. A Pomo cradle is made by the maternal grandmother after the birth of the baby.
Willow and cord created a curved, sturdy design
The cradles are shaped like a scoop and made of bent willow rods bound together with lashings of native or cotton cord.
An open top with a willow hoop for protection
The top of the cradle is open-ended and a willow hoop is attached to serve as a head protector.
The baby sat snugly with legs over the edge
The tightly bound child sits in the curve of the cradle and is padded with shredded tule reeds. The baby's legs would dangle over the edge.
The Pomo lived in the coastal hills of Northern California, in the far western United States. Their homelands lay north of San Francisco Bay, centered on the Russian River, reaching east to Clear Lake and west to the Pacific Ocean.
The Pomo excelled in the art of basketry
The Pomo excelled at basket making using willow, sedge root (also known as white root), bulrush root and redbud bark.
The acorn was an important food source; in addition, they also hunted in the hills and fished in boats made of tule reed. In the 1700s there were nearly 8,000 Pomo living in 70 autonomous villages. Each was headed by a chief and had a large, central semi-subterranean dance room or meeting house.
Pomo CradleboardRed Earth
Cradle in Eastern Pomo language - xai-katolLi
Cradle in Clear Lake Pomo dialect - buuxalla
Modern Use
Cradleboard-making remains a living tradition. Many Native families pass down these skills, blending old designs with new materials. In some communities, cradleboards are part of naming or coming-of-age ceremonies.
They serve not only as practical tools, but as ways to teach young people about their identity and traditions from birth.
Navajo CradleboardRed Earth
Held by Tradition
Across land and language, these cradleboards offer more than a glimpse into childhood, they show us love, resilience, and continuity. From the Apache me' bił tsʼání to the Lakota čhuwíč’inpa, each design speaks volumes.
Red Earth Cradleboards
Special thanks to Dr. Harry "Doc" and Dorothy Swan Deupree for their contribution of the Deupree Cradleboard Collection to the Red Earth Museum.
Photography by
Danny Sands
Research by
John Elder
Lori Gonzalez
Scott Tigert
Chelsey Curry
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