COCOPAH WILLOW BARK SKIRT

This Cocopah bark skirt aboriginal clothing dress was recently handmade in the traditional Cocopah way by Inocencia González Saiz, Cucapá, El Mayor, Baja California, Mexico.

Inocencia, Cucapá Indigena from El Mayor, Baja California, Mexico, hand crafts traditional ethnographic art of the California aboriginal peoples of the lower Colorado River region, including fine Cocopah beaded collars, beaded yokes, beaded capes, and willow bark skirts like those pictured.

Inocencia is pictured above in 2005 displaying one of her beautiful traditional hand-made bark skirts for the Kumeyaay.info multimedia documentary.

The working ethnographic tribal artist, Inocencia, said had recently made the skirt and beaded cape for sale as museum-grade relics. These could be sales to tribal members to wear in ceremonies, collectors of authentic American Indian art, and museum collections.

Tribal art does not get any more real than this....

GLASS BEADED CAPE-COLLAR-YOKE:

The elder Inocencia was photographed the same photo shoot at her museum displaying one of her recently-completed handmade beaded collars -- a traditional testament to her timeless Cucapá Yuman culture. Her tribal patterns in this piece feature white diamond shape motiffs, red zig-zag patterns on black beaded net with small sea shells tied in along the bottom for accent.

The professional ethnographic Cocopah artist was also the long-time curator the Cucapa Community Museum, Comunidad Indigena El Mayor Cucapá Mexicali, Baja California, México.

Inocencia passed away in 2019 of old age.

Inocencia is the sister of Onesimo Gonzalez Saiz, both Natives are well-known and respected Cucapa tribal elders in the US-Mexico border region. Gary Ballard recorded Onesimo and Dale Phillips singing in this kumeyaay.info MOVIE project on the Colorado River.

The natural aboriginal bark skirt and beaded cape are indigenous to southwest United States, Yuman Indians, and her traditional culture.

Inocencia Gonzalez's authentic Cocopah willow bark skirts may be purchased through Shumup Ko Hup California Indian store and gift shop located in Old Town, San Diego.

Ethnographic photo by G BALLARD, San Diego