Page 33 - Fall2012

vast displays of color were common throughout gathered in great quantities by the Indians and Grains from
California before European contact, and were eaten raw, boiled or baked in an earth oven. The
actively managed as vast seed-bearing tracts brodiaeas (Brodiaea, Dichelostemma, Triteleia), native grasses
by the local tribes through such practices as mariposa lilies (Calochortus), sanicles (Sanicula were gathered
seed beating, sowing and burning. Seed beat- tuberosa), camas (Camassia), soaproot (Chloro- in quantity.
ing is seed harvest using a seed beater, a woven galum), and many other geophytes were eaten.
cupped paddle, to beat against the seed-bearing The gathering knowledge for these subterranean
inflorescenses of the maturing plants, sweeping foods was complex and extensive. Lois Conner,
the seeds into a burden basket. In the process, North Fork Mono/Chukchansi, remembers what
some seeds fall down to the ground or up into her Aunt Rosalie taught her: “Dig soaproot after
the wind and thus are dispersed. William Pink, the plants go to seed and leave the roots behind. If
a Luiseño/Cupeño man, explains, “Seed beating you break them off, they will grow back again.”
chia plants helped scatter the seeds around the
area and helped the crop. Otherwise the seeds GREENS
just stay in the vessel, and with no collecting, The leaves, stems, buds and young sprouts
the insects get the seeds.” (capably identified in the very early stages of
Grains from native grasses were gathered in growth) of a great variety of herbaceous plants
quantity; before gathering grain from the drying were eaten raw, often in the field, or stone-boiled
grasses, Foothill Yokuts women would rub their in a basket, steamed as pot-herbs in an earth
forearms and legs with Indian tobacco herb to oven, or dried and stored for later use. Indian let-
keep rattlesnakes away. Among the grass species tuce (Claytonia perfoliata), the leaves and tender
harvested and eaten were grains in the genera tops of alumroot (Heuchera micrantha) and the
Leymus, Nassella, Festuca, Phalaris, Panicum, young rosettes of fiddleneck (Amsinckia) are just
Eragrostis, Hordeum, Elymus, Deschampsia, some examples; the Sierra Miwok alone used
Bromus, and Melica. Grasslands were burned forty-eight distinct varieties of greens. Native
to enhance grain production. The native peren- people today remember that edible greens were
nial bunchgrass California oatgrass (Danthonia not “naturally” productive continuously, over
californica) grains were eaten, and when the
annual European wild oats (Avena fatua), with
its comparatively large seeds appeared in the
landscape, the Indians recognized its value,
adopted it, began managing it and incorporating
it into their diets. It is certain that the Indians
contributed to the dissemination of the European
wild oats throughout California.

INDIAN POTATOES
The bulbs, corms and tubers of geophytes,
many of which produce strikingly beautiful
flowers and hence became a commodity of
commerce for the nursery industry, were dug
by California Indians with digging sticks. The
Indian harvest of these plants loosened and aer-
ated the soil, divided the plants’ underground
storage parts and left behind small cormlets,
bulblets or fragments in the soil, stimulating
regrowth. These plants, which grew densely
under Indian management, were seen by early Figure 2. Light and frequent fires set between the oaks reduced acorn insect

white settlers as growing naturally in beds and predators and diseases, and kept down fuel loads to prevent a catastrophic
came to be called Indian potatoes. They were fire from destroying the trees.
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