The appreciation of pattern: Beauty and structure Tlingit spruce-root baskets are well known for the patterns that adorn them. Typically they have monochromatic patterns that appear in parts of the basket, especially at the top, and also multicolored bands, using the technique of false embroidery, that appear in the body of the baskets. Museums and collectors cherish these baskets for their anthropological interest and artistic excellence, but, in addition, it is hard to miss the complex and precise geometry of these patterns. How did the maker of the basket invent or learn about the design? How was she taught the geometry of pattern making? Were designers expert in geometry, and in what sense? Who taught them, with what teaching material? How did the teacher know that the pupil had mastered the concepts? How were the other designs of Tlingit baskets, which are rich and varied, generated? Using the theoretical perspective of ethnomathematics, I will share my preliminary investigations of the embedded mathematics of Tlingit basketry and address some of these questions. The theme of “telling our stories” acknowledges the relevance of both oral and written texts. With the assistance of participants, I hope to (re)tell stories of mathematical representations of the Tlingit people.
