Alfred Louis Kroeber bol americký kultúrny antropológ, ktorý sa venoval štúdiu pôvodných amerických kultúr. Jeho práca sa zameriavala na hlboké pochopenie tradícií, jazykov a spoločenských štruktúr predkolumbovských spoločností. Kroeber zdôrazňoval význam terénneho výskumu a starostlivej dokumentácie pre zachovanie kultúrneho dedičstva. Jeho vplyv na rozvoj antropológie ako vedeckej disciplíny je nepopierateľný.
The author was sent in 1899 to study the Southern Arapaho in western Indian Territory (present Oklahoma). In 1900 he lived in the camp of the Northern Arapaho in Wyoming, and in 1901 he visited the Gros Ventre, a related tribe, in Montana. This book touches upon nearly every imaginable facet of the Indians' culture.
This book is a fascinating look at the basketry designs used by the Mission Indians of California in the early 1900s. The author, a prominent anthropologist, provides a detailed description of the different types of baskets used by the tribes and the techniques used in making them. The book is illustrated with detailed drawings of the baskets and is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Native American culture.