Native American Culture CLASS READINGS Writings & Materials from Cheri Degenhardt • Dateline of California History • North Coast Indian Tribes • Seasonal Resource Calendar • Seasonal Round/Acorn Harvest • Native American Use of Plants of Bouverie Preserve • Tules • Teaching Respect for Native People • Native American Way - Conclusion • Native American Classes & Exhibits • Native American Stories & Games Acorn Preparation, photos of Essie Parrish (Kashaya Pomo, Sonoma County), 1960, Phoebe A Hearst Museum of Anthropology. Graton Rancheria Timeline (Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria) Sacred Places (Sarris, Bay Nature Magazine, 2003) Charms of Tolay Lake (Sarris, Bay Nature Magazine, 2017) CALNAT: Cal Naturalist Handbook - Chap 1, pp. 9-13, Chap 4, pp. 109-114 Key Concepts By the end of this class, we hope you will be able to Name the Native American cultures indigenous to the local area and tap into children's curiosity to engage discussion, Name the historic staple food for Native Americans in this area, understand its preparation, and maybe even have an idea of what it tastes like! Describe 2 or 3 additional Native plant foods and how they are prepared, Describe a few medicinal uses of native plants, Identify 2 to 3 animals used for food by local Native American people, Recount at least one story that can be used to engage students on the trail (e.g. Douglas fir cone story, bay nut story, acorn maidens), More Key Concepts: By the end of this class, we hope you have a better understanding of Seasonal resource use by local tribes The intricacies of basketry and the wide variety of ways in which tules were used The extent to which modern medicines are based upon indigenous uses of plants The current status of local Native American culture The environmental values associated with the lifestyle of these cultures Resources (classes, museums, etc.) available in the local area where you can learn more How information about Native American cultures fits into the California 3rd and 4th grade curriculum standards Recommended Readings Interviews with Tom Smith and Maria Copa: Isabel Kelly’s Ethnographic Notes on the Coast Miwok Indians of Marin and Southern Sonoma Counties. (1996). Published by the Miwok Archeological Preserve Of Marin. The Natural World of the California Indians. By Robert Heizer & Albert Elsasser. (1980). Published by U.C. Press, Berkeley. The Way We Lived (1981) and The Ohlone Way (1978). By Malcolm Margolin. Heydey Books, Berkeley, CA. Whispers of the First Californians. By Gail Faber. (1984). Magpie Publications, 4th edition. Native American Ethnobotany. By Daniel E. Moerman. (1998). Timber Press, Portland, OR. An encyclopedic catalogue of information on Native American uses of plants. Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources. By Kat Anderson. (2005). University of California Press, Berkeley. The Coast Miwok Indians of the Point Reyes Area. By Sylvia Thalman. (1993). Published by the Point Reyes National Seashore Association. Kashaya Pomo Plants by Goodrich, Lawson and Lawson. 1980. Published by the American Indian Studies Center, University of California, Los Angeles. A Time of Little Choice: The Disintegration of Tribal Culture in the San Francisco Bay Area. By Randall Milliken. (1995). Reprinted by Malki-Ballena Press, 2009. California Indians and their Environment by Kent Lightfoot and Otis Parrish. 2009. Published by U.C. Press, Berkeley. Chief Marin: Leader, Rebel, and Legend. By Betty Goerke. (2007). Heyday Books, Berkeley. Online The California Native American Heritage Association considers the current interests of native Californians with links to info about history, resource use, tribal distribution, and more. It also includes an excellent brief history of California Indians by Edward Castillo, the Sonoma State University Professor of Native American Studies for many years. Trail Tip www.nahc.ca.gov and http://www.nahc.ca.gov/califindian.html Many children learn best by touching and feeling objects. Many A good source of introductory information on Native Californians’ land Bouverie docents bring their own management practices involving fire. Native American –style artifacts on www.californiachaparral.com/dnativeamericans.html the trail to engage the kids. At the Solstice Party, you will have an Contact information about current tribal organizations within California opportunity to make your own www.ceres.ca.gov/planning/tribal/tribes.html “Indian Gambling Dice” or Madrone berry necklace. Some docents bring a piece of fur or an obsidian Links to books on myths and stories of many Native Californian tribal projectile point to pass around to groups http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/ca/index.htm their hiking group. Others give students the opportunity to feel the Native Languages of the Americas: Pomo Indian Legends toughness of an acorn and the give http://www.native-languages.org/pomo-legends.htm them the opportunity to pound it with a rock. There are ample opportunities to touch and feel such The Point Reyes National Seashore website provides information on the artifacts at the Bark House itself! Coast Miwok. http://www.nps.gov/pore/historyculture/people_coastmiwok.htm While learning about Native American uses of plants is fun and For additional information about the replica Coast Miwok village at Point fascinating, remember that we Reyes National Seashore and related activities never allow children to taste or eat any plant materials at Bouverie. www.kuleloklo.com Even if you think it is safe, we can never predict what a child’s Access Genealogy’s Miwok place names with links to other California reaction might be. Indian Resources http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/california/miwokindianhist.htm California Indian Food and Culture from U.C. Berkeley’s Hearst Museum – Teaching curriculum appropriate for children in 3rd and 4th grade (and beyond!). Includes color photographs and beautiful illustrations. http://hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu/education/teaching-kits/california- indian-food-and-culture READINGS - NATIVE AMERICANS Compiled and/or written by Cheri Degenhardt Page 1 DATELINE OF CALIFORNIA HISTORY 2 NORTH COAST INDIAN TRIBES 3 SEASONAL RESOURCE CALENDAR 4-5 SEASONAL ROUND/ACORN HARVEST 6-10 NATIVE AMERICAN USES OF PLANTS OF BOUVERIE PRESERVE 11 TULES 12-13 TEACHING RESPECT FOR NATIVE PEOPLE 15 NATIVE AMERICAN WAY: CONCLUSIONS AND TECHNIQUES 16 NATIVE AMERICAN CLASSES AND EXHIBITS PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY Acorn Preparation Tools soaproot brushes mortar looped stirrers Pomo boiling stones, boiling basket, tongs, mush paddle PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY Acorn Preparation From centuries of experence, California Indian women learned how to gather the very best acorns Essie Parrish (Kashaya Pomo) from oak cracking and shelling acorns, Sonoma Co.; 1960 trees. Newly picked acorns are too soft to cook with. After being collected in baskets, the acorns had to be dried. Fresh acorns were usually stored for one year before they were used. Once the acorns dried, their shells were cracked open in order to reach the nutmeat. Acorn shells could be opened with small hammer stones and stone anvils. The shells were then removed by hand. PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY Winnowing Once all the acorns were cracked open it was time for winnowing. Like peanuts, acorns have a thin skin around them that needs to be removed. The acorns were put into a scoop shaped basket and rubbed by hand until the skins loosened. Then they were tossed into the air and their lightweight skins blew away in the breeze. The heavy acorns dropped back into the basket. winnowing basket and pine nuts PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY Essie Parrish (Kashaya Pomo) pounding acorn with a milling stone, Sonoma Co.; 1960 Acorn Pounding California Indian women used two types of tools to pound acorns. These tools are called mortars and pestles and milling stones. Acorn pounding was hard work. Women often spent an entire day pounding acorns into meal. Women sang songs and made time for talking, teasing, and laughing while pounding acorns to make the chore fun. PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY Essie Parrish (Kashaya Pomo) sifting acorn, Sonoma Co.; 1960 Acorn Sifting After the acorn meal was pounded, it was then carefully sifted into a fine flour. A few handfuls of meal were put in the sifting basket and the basket was shaken carefully. The fine meal stuck to the basket and the heavier pieces rose to the surface. The larger pieces were put into another basket and the fine flour was swept into a third basket with a soaproot brush. The larger pieces were then pounded again with the next batch of acorns. PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY Essie Parish (Kashaya Pomo) leaching acorn meal, shore of Gualala River, Mendocino Co.; 1961 Leaching Acorns contain a poison called tannic acid. Once all the acorns were pounded into meal, the poison was removed in order to make them safe to eat. First, women scooped out a large basin in the ground. Next, they spread the acorn meal out in the basin and placed branches over it. Then, they poured water through the branches into the basin. Once the acorn meal no longer tasted bitter, the soaking could stop. After the acorn meal drained, it was scooped out of the hole by hand. This is called leaching. Now the meal was ready to be cooked. PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY Essie Parish (Kashaya Pomo) boiling acorn meal, shore of Gualala River, Mendocino Co.; 1960 Boiling Water and acorn meal were mixed together and boiled into a thin soup or thicker mush. There were two ways that California Indian women boiled food. One way was to boil the mush in a clay or stone pot over a fire. The other way to boil food was by stone boiling. Boiling baskets were often coated with a thin layer of acorn gruel. The gruel was like a glue that coated the basket so that no water would leak from it.