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The Case:
Our contributor believes she has a basket woven by a woman who played a pivotal role in the Indian Wars that helped define the settlement of the West.
The weaver worked the name “Toby” into the pattern of the basket. Could this be Toby Riddle, the woman who thrust her body into the line of fire to save the life of a peace negotiator?
Riddle’s fluency in English and the Modoc language positioned her as a mediator between the two nations. Congress rewarded her bravery with a life-long pension.
Did Toby Riddle weave this basket? History Detectives consults with an historian of Indian Wars and an appraiser who specializes in Native American baskets and finds a key clue in the hands of Toby Riddle’s great great granddaughter.
The Modoc People
The Modoc were one of a number of tribes whose land straddled what is now the Oregon/California border. View images of the Modoc from 1873, just after the Modoc War.
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