This large, flat bag was made as a storage container for food. Bags like this were especially useful for seasonal moves to river fishing camps, root-gathering fields and winter villages. Women created these bags from the peeled, cured and handspun fibers of dogbane (which naturally repels insects) or silkweed. They decorated them with geometric designs that were different on each side, using contrasting-color plant fibers such as corn husks. As Euro-American materials like wool yarn and chemical dyes came into the region, artists incorporated them into many bags.

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From the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery website:

“Women have long been the creative force behind Native American art, yet their individual contributions have been largely unrecognized, instead treated as anonymous representations of entire cultures. ‘Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists’ explores the artistic achievements of Native women and establishes their rightful place in the art world.”

Best to view in "Original" because other versions resized by Pbase are decidedly unsharp.

Playing with light(s), posted earlier: