Kwakiutl String Figures

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

In 1930 a young Russian ethnologist, Julia Averkieva, visited the
Kwakiutl Indian tribe on Vancouver Island to record the various patterns
of their string-figure art. Sixty years later, Mark Sherman, a
biochemist with a passion for string figures, expanded and edited her
notes: the result is this comprehensive record of 102 string figures and
10 string tricks. It is the most extensive and detailed work in the
subject to date, and will be of considerable interest to
anthropologists, sociologists, and ethnologists as well as anyone who
wants to explore this little-known art form. Warning: both memory and
dexterity will be challenged.

For Native cultures from many parts of the globe, string figures were
significantly more than the child’s pastime we know today as cat’s
cradle. It was a key activity in the preservation of traditional
cultural beliefs, in that it provided a visual and participatory
component to the telling of myths and legends. As a set of ritualistic
motions, string figures provided a common base for communication across
generations and an outlet for emotional and artistic expression. The
names of some of the more complex figures underscore this role: “Grave
of a Child,” “Man Hanging by His Neck,” “What Will You Do,”
“Laughing in the House,” “Two Men Fighting.” Often the figures
were accompanied by a chant or story that connected the figure to
beliefs, myths, or traditions.

String-figure construction methods, illustrated directions for forming
the 102 figures, and maps and cross-references to similar figures in
other cultures, add to both the enjoyment and the research value of this
unique work.