Juneau-Douglas City Museum

Use the text tool to label the parts of the Montana Creek fish trap: FUNNEL, STAVE, HOOP, LASHING and also use the paint tool to draw an X on a STAVE, a HOOP and a LASHING. Be sure to use a paint and text color that stands out. 

This basketry-style trap was discovered in 1989 and excavated in 1990-91.  The top section of the trap was washing away.  It was recovered immediately by anthropologists from the University of Alaska Southeast and the Alaska State Museum. Jon Loring, Robert Betts and Greg Chaney excavated the trap in 1991. The cylindrical trap was crushed into an oval shape from burial. It was bent at the back; the back of the trap was gone. Basketry-style traps are rarely found in an archaeological context because they were removed from the stream after the fishing season for repair and storage. This trap was unusually well preserved due to its quick burial and the high iron content of the surrounding soils. No other ancient basketry-style traps have been conserved on the Northwest Coast.

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Montana Creek Fish Trap Excavation

Montana Creek Fish Trap

Label the Parts of the Montana Creek Fish Trap

Introduction and Preparation

Diagram of a fish trap used by Indigenous Australians. Image courtesy of https://www.questacon.edu.au/discover/burarra-gathering/extra-information/fish-trap

How did the Trap Work?

Observe a Photograph

The Montana Creek fish trap was made from plants that grow in Southeast Alaska. The design of this trap was very effective because it allowed fish to enter the trap easily. Once inside, the fish were unable to get back out. Click on the image to learn more about the shape of the Montana Creek fish trap and the plants that were harvested to create the trap.

Montana Creek Fish Trap Design

Learn about Kaxdegoowu Héen Sháali from discovery to exhibition at the City Museum in Juneau, Alaska. 

A Very Old Fish Trap

Design Your Own Trap

What Makes a Trap a Trap?

Explore the timeline map to see what else was happening when the Montana Creek fish trap was made!

Timeline Map 1300-1500

In this resource kit you will observe an ancient funnel trap once used for fishing near Juneau, Alaska, you will construct a simple funnel trap to capture and hold a marble, and build and test a trap of your own design.

Resource Kits

Object Library

Museums

Kaxdegoowu Héen Sháali (Montana Creek Fish Trap)

Label the Parts of the Montana Creek Fish Trap