- Term
Dat-So-La-Lee
- Alternate Term
Dat-So-La-Lee
Datsolalee?
Datsalali
Dat-So-la-Le
Datsolali
Dat-So-la-Lee, Basket
Keyser, Louisa
Dat-So-la-Li
Dat So la Lee
Datsolalee
Keyser, Louisa
Dat-So-La-Lee?
- Occupation/Role
basket weaver
- Nationality/Ethnicity
Washo
- Geography
Carson City, Ormsby County, Nevada
- Date
circa 1829-1925
circa 1829-1925
circa 1829-1925
- Remarks
Dat-So-La-Lee was born in Washoe family near Sheridan, Carson Valley, Nevada. She was also known by her given name Dabuda. In her early life Dabuda lived in and around Carson City, Carson Valley, and Lake Tahoe. According to the some information she was first married into the family of “Lame Tom”, who was called Assu and than to man called “Jim.” As young woman, Dabuda washed clothes and cooked for the miners and their wives. In 1871, she went to the mining town of Monitor in Alpine County, California, and worked for the parents of Abe Cohn. In 1888 Dat-So-La-Lee married Charlie Keyser, who was part Washoe and took his name from the family, which owned the Keyser and Elrod Ranch in Nevada 's Carson Valley. At this time Dabuda took the name Louisa Keyser. Louisa came to Abe Cohn's attention as basket weaver in 1895, when he bought four willow-covered bottles she had made. With time he became her sponsor, business manager, and press agent. For next thirty years, she weaves baskets exclusively for Cohn’s Emporium, traveled extensively with the Cohns to arts and crafts exhibits. She becomes one of the earliest Washoe basketry artists to support herself exclusively by sale of her baskets. Sometime around 1899, Cahn started promoting Dabuda under name Dat-So-La-Lee, under which she is most widely remembered today. Dat-So-La-Lee is probably best known for her degikup or day-gee-coop baskets. This type begins with a small, circular base, extends up and out to a maximum circumference, then becomes smaller until the opening at the top is roughly the same diameter as the base. She wove baskets for Cohn's Emporium for approximately thirty years until her death. Dat-So-La-Lee died in December 1925 and was buried at the Stewart Indian cemetery in Carson City, Nevada.
- See Also