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As the Culinary expert, you will research the basic diet of the tribe. What did they eat? Did they hunt and fish, grow food, gather food, or was it some combination of these practices? How did they use herbs for medicinal use? What herbs are indigenous to their area? Some general information from a fourth grade project can get you started. Go to the Central Valley portion of the site (at the top) and click on your subject http://www.cuca.k12.ca.us/la/tribes.html . |
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•FOOD AND NATURAL RESOURCES |
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Source: Reader's Digest (1978). America's Fascinating Indian Heritage. NY: Reader's Digest Association, Inc., p. 267 |
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Indian Grinding Rock, CA Click on the picture to find food gathering and preparation items.
Recipe for Acorn Soup
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| Being hunters and gatherers, much of their energy went into food gathering and preparation. As with most Native Californians, the acorn was the staple of the Nisenan diet. It took a great deal of time to gather and prepare the approximately 2,000 pounds of acorns every adult ate in a year. Acorn meal provides more calories per serving than either wheat or corn, an important factor in a hunting/gathering society's diet. However, before an acorn can be used for food, it must be processed. Acorns contain tannic acid, and this must be removed prior to using them as food The acorns would be gathered in the fall, with some being prepared immediately while the rest of the supply was stored in cone-shaped baskets for use over the winter months. After shelling the acorns and removing the membrane that surrounds the meat, the meat was ground into a meal in mortars. The meal was then placed in a sand basin near a stream or river, and warm water was poured over the meal. This was repeated until the water leached the acid out of the acorns and left the Nisenan with a nutritious meal that they could eat as a mush, soup or bread.Besides acorns, the Nisenan utilized nearly everything that nature had to offer as a food source. A few animals were not eaten, such as the grizzly bear, coyote or owl, but for the most part, the diet of the Nisenan was varied. Fish, game, seeds, insects, nuts, berries and grasses all had places in their diet. The Nisenan were not farmers because there was no need to farm. The valley and foothills provided enough food and shelter to meet their needs. http://www.middlemountain.org/indians.htm | |
· Pictures of Indian Grinding Rock acquired from http://www.sierra.parks.state.ca.us/igr/igr_main.htm
Check out the following sites and collect information about the flora (plants) of the area. The plant and animal life for the Valley matches with the Miwok "Indian Grinding Rock" and "Big Trees" locations. This will be updated with more current information as available.
Fauna (Animals) . . .
Check out the following sites and collect information about the fauna (animals) of the area. Some were used for food and hides.
HERBS & MEDICINE
Native Americans used what they found in nature to heal or treat medical problems. See what different herbs from your geographical area were used.
http://www.shadowwolf.org/native_american_herbal_remedies/html
Last Revised: 01/03/01
PREPARING ACORNS at