Textile Fibers used in Eastern Aboriginal North America

"Textile Fibers used in Eastern Aboriginal North America" by A. C. Whitford is a study about the plant fibers used by Eastern Indigenous peoples of North America, mainly those to the east of the Mississippi River. Published in 1941 as part of the Anthropological Papers from the American Museum of Natural History, the book takes readers through the types of plant fibers used - separated into monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous - and the ways different tribes used them. Examples include using palmetto for cordage and basswood for cloth. The writing shows how resourceful these Indigenous groups were in using plants that grew near them, highlighting how they did things in the past and how they do them now, and the growth of their textile-making abilities from a long time ago to today. Overall, it shows how important these fibers were to their culture and the skilled ways they made them ready to use in their daily lives and ceremonies.