SHARING OF FOOD RESOURCES

MOST ALL TRIBAL SOCIETIES HAVE A CUSTOM OF SHARING THEIR CATCH OF FISH, THEIR SEEDS AND GRASSES, ROOTS, AND NUTS COLLECTED. IT DISSOLVED COMPETITION BETWEEN EACH MEMBER AND STRENGTHENED SOCIAL BONDS. IN MOST TRIBES EVEN THOSE WHO WERE IN THE DESERT THERE WAS NO FEAR OF STARVING OR DEHYDRATING. THEY KNEW HOW TO PROCURE RESOURCES AND HOW TO GET WATER FROM MANY SOURCES.

FOR INSTANCE, A PREHISTORIC DIET WOULD HAVE HUNDREDS OF RECIPESSINF THOUSANDS OF PLANTS, WHILE OUR WESTERN CULTURE RELIES ON ABOUT 30 PLANTS. THERE ARE SO MANY NATIVE TUBERS AND BULBS THAT ARE NOT EATEN TODAY - EVEN IN THE DESERTS. THIS INCLUDED THWE SHARING OF ALGAE, FUNGUS AND MUSHROOMS AS WELL AS FISH AND MEATS. THE COASTAL INDIANS USED DOZENS OF SHELLFISH AS WELL AS OCEAN FISH. ARCHAEOLOGISTS FIND THE REMAINS OF SHELLFISH AS WELL AS ABALONE AND FISH AND BIRD BONES. THEY ALSO SHARED ALL THE ANIMAL MEATS AND BIRDS THAT THEY CAUGHT. THIS IS SO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE DO IN OUR WESTERN CULTURE.

KAT ANDERSON