Pima Basket

Tohono O'odham basketry plaque by Julia Lewis. White Winter yucca and devil's claw. The design is that of the "Man in the Maze". For the Tohono O'odham the design can be interpreted in two ways. It is a pictorial design of I'itoi. I'itoi with elder brother created and populated the world. I'itoi took a special liking to the Tohono O'odham (Desert People) -formerly called Papago and the Akimel O'odham (Mountain People) formerly called the Pima. Both tribes descend from the Hohokam whom I'itoi and Elder Brother created. I'itoi is a complicated being known as a creator, a trickster, and a powerful shaman. The maze is often described as the 'maze of life' exhibiting the twists and turns, accomplishments and challenges every human experiences. Just before the end of life and the entrance to the next world there is a resting place there for the contemplation of one's life and transition to the next world. The maze is also described as a song, one of I'itoi's powerful songs that allows him to unmanifest and become unseen - the maze exemplifying the confounding effect of the song on the people. Very likely the man in the maze is all of those things. The maze itself is an ancient symbol seen in petroglyphs throughout the Southwest in most every culture.

Circa: 1940