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Women of Nevada: Part I

© Kathleen M. Brune

Women have made numerous contributions to family, society, art, and government throughout history. March has been set aside, nationally, as a time to honor these women. This series of articles, I hope, will get you started in learning about women who have helped shape Nevada.

Women in Nevada are descended from cultures all over the world. Even before immigrations diversified the area, however, Native American women were already here—and making a difference. Descendents of people of the land give testimony to the spirit of those that came before, and among those women known and remembered today are Dat-So-La-Lee, a skilled artisan; Sarah Winnemucca, who would become a lecturer, activist, school organizer, and author; Wuzzie George, a folk artist, language interpreter, and tribal elder; and Katie Frazier--educator, folk artist, quilter and dancer. Each of these women spent their lives preserving their history, while working toward a peaceful future in Nevada.

Dat-So-La-Lee

There is much we do not know about Dat-So-La-Lee, including the origin of the name by which she became known and is now remembered. No children are known to have survived to adulthood. She was married three times, but little is known of her first two husbands. She lived to be anywhere from 75 to 94 years of age, depending upon her true birthdate. She was born, lived and died in the Carson Valley. She changed her name and profession often as she matured, married and honed her skills. Her greatest gift was in the art of basket weaving.

Dat-So-La-Lee, originally Dabuda, was a Washoe Indian woman born sometime between 1829 and 1850. Records of her first two marriages have not been found, but it is believed that she first was married to a man named Assu, who possible died of consumption. Her second marriage was to a man only known as Jim.

In 1888 she married her third husband, Charlie Keyser, and took the name Louisa Keyser. Although her new husband was twenty-four years her junior, this marriage lasted until her death in 1925. He was a master arrow craftsman, and near this time she began to pursue her own art.

Around 1895, Dat-So-La-Lee started to make her baskets for a living. She crafted her baskets with all the care and artistry passed down to her from thousands of years of weavers. The last of her kind, her baskets have become a symbol and representation of the skills of the craftspeople native to Nevada. Many of her baskets can still be viewed in private and public collections, including with the Nevada Historic Society.

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