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Story of Candalaria: The Old Indian Basket Maker
MS.762  
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Description
This file contains a typed manuscript entitled "The Story of Candalaria (sic): the Old Indian Basket Maker, as told by her to George Henley and Dr. Bizzel of the Sespe in 1914." This is a copy made in 1955.
Background
Candelaria Valenzuela (circa 1847-1917) was on Lord's Creek, north of the Sespe railroad station, near today's Fillmore, Ventura County, California. She was a member of the Sespe Chumash. In her early life she lived the San Buenaventura Mission. She died in 1915 or 1917, apparently from burns sustained during a fire on Nick Peiranoa's ranch (now the northern part of Lake Casitas) and died shortly after. Candelaria and her husband lived and worked on the Peirano ranch. According to the information in Native American Basketry of Southern California at her death at age 79, she was the last living Chumash basketmaker. A number of her baskets are also in the Ventura Country Historical Museum.George Henley recorded information from and about a Chumash woman, Candelaria Valenzuela, in Ventura County, California in 1912 and 1914. The sound recordings were preserved in 1973 at the Library of Congress. In the collection documentation Henley's name appears as George A. Henley, George J. Henley, and Geo. Henley.
Extent
0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Research Services and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Availability
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