THE USE AND TENDING OF SOAPROOT

CALIFORNIA NATIVES COLLECTED AND PROCESSED SOAPROOT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. ONE WAS FOR USE AS A GLUE FOR ATTACHING FEATHERS. ANOTHER USE WAS TO CATCH FISH. THE WOMEN SMASHED ABOUT 50 BULBS AND USED WILLOW BRANCHES IN CREEKS TO CONTAIN THE FISH. THEY HAD A CEREMONY BEFORE COLLECTING SALMON AND TROUTTHIS WAY (BOTH DURING THE EARLY SPRING AND IN THE FALL). A SAPOTOXIN WAS RELEASED FROM THE BULB WHEN THEY SMASHED THE BULB. THEY THREW THESE SOAPROOT BULBS INTO THE CREEKS, AND THIS STUNNED THE FISH SO THAT THEY COULD CATCH THE FISH WITH BASKETS. BY THESE MEANS THEY DID NOT HAVE TO USE A FISHING POLE. THIS PRACTICE WAS DONE BY THE ENTIRE VILLAGE AND THEY SHARED THE CATCH, SIMILAR TO THE POTLATCH IN ALASKA. THE SALMON AND TROUT WERE SMOKED OVER OR BESIDE AN OPEN FIRE.

ANOTHER USE OF THE SOAPROOT WAS FOR CURING POISON OAK. AS I MENTIONED IN A PREVIOUS BLOG I FELL INTO SOME POISON OAK AND DUG UP SOME SOAPROOT AND FOUND IT TO BE A MAGICAL WAY TO HEAL MY ITCHING HANDS.

THE LEAVES OF THE SOAPROOT CAN BE USED TO WRAP UP ACORN BREAD OR OTHER TUBERS THEY BAKED IN UNDERGROUND OVENS. THE OVENS WERE MADE FROM HEATING HOT ROCKS AND PLACED IN A HOLE ABOUT 1 FOOT DEEP.

THE NATIVES DUG P SOME OF THE BULBLETS WHICH WERE ATTACHED TO THE PARENT. THE DIGGING STICKS THEY USED BROKE UP THE SOIL AND DISPERSED THE BULBLETS. THIS ENSURED REPRODUCTION OF THE PLANTS IN FOLLOWING YEARS.

SOME ANTHROPOLOGISTS HAVE NOTED THAT VARIOUS TRIBES BOILED THE CORMS IN MAY AND WERE EATEN LIKE A POTATOE. HOWEVER I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS..

THE COARSE HAIR AROUND THE BULD WAS USED TO CLEAN THEIR BASKETS, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE USES OF THIS PLANT.