In the early 1900s, William and Mary Benson, a Pomo Indian couple, won renown for their exquisite Native American baskets. In 1912, they gave one of William's most masterly pieces to a trusted friend.

A small shed on the Washington State University campus buzzes with activity. Volunteer workers map out the next cuts they will make in the process of shaping a 200-year-old western red cedar log from ...