THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY

FIFTY THOUSAND YEARS AGO BEFORE THE COMING OF THE ANGLOS TO THE NORTH COAST RANGES, THEIR WERE ABOUT 30 DIFFERENT LINGUISTIC TRIBLETS OF THE POMO. THEIR ARTS WERE HIGHLY DEVELOPED AND THEY BECAME WORLD FAMOUS BECAUSE OF THEIR BASKET MAKING.

THE WOMEN COLLECTED PRIMARILY THREE DIFFERENT REEDS AND ROOTS - BLACK WILLOW, SEDGE ROOT, AND REDBUD SHOOTS FOR BOTH COILED AND TWINED BASKETS. THE REDBUD PRIMARILY COMES FROM CLEAR LAKE. OTHER PLANTS USED FOR POMO BASKETS INCLUDE MAIDEN HAIR FERN, BULRUSH SHOOTS, AND BRACKEN FERN. THEY CONSIDERED THE BASKET A LIVING THING AND IT WAS THEIR SPIRITUAL ART. MEN ALSO MADE TWINED BABY BASKETS FROM WILLOW SHOOTS.

THE FAMILY WAS THE SOLID FOUNDATION UPON WHICH POMO LIFE WAS BASED. IT WAS KNOWN THAT A MAN NEEDED TO HAVE A FAMILY SO HE WOULD HAVE A RICH LIFE. OTHERWISE HE WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE IMPORTANT. THERE WERE 20,000 POMO HERE BEFORE THE ANGLOS SETTLED IN. CEREMONIAL LIFE WAS IMMEASURABLY RICH WITH SECRET SOCIETIES, SHAMANS, FESTIVALS, AND ELABORATE DANCES. ONCE A FAMILY WAS FORMED THESE PEOPLE SUPPORTED EACH OTHER...IF THEY HAD PROBLEMS OR TROUBLES. THE POMO AS WELL AS OTHER CALIFORNIA TRIBES VIEWED THE INDIVIDUAL AS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT A FAMILY.

CHILDREN WERE GIVEN MUCH TRAINING AND KINDNESS. SINCE THEY HAD AN EASY WAY OF HUNTING AND GATHERING MANY FOODS THEY COULD SPEND MUCH TIME ON RAISING THEIR FAMILIES. THEY GAVE THE CHILDREN QUESTIONS TO ANSWER SO THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE ANSWERS THEMSELVES VS. DIRECTLY TELLING THEM THE ANSWERS. IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE YOUTH WOULD HAVE TO GO OUT IN THE WORLD NOT TO GET KNOWLEDGE BUT TO RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM THEIR EXPERIENCES.


MALCOLM MARGOLIN