GREENS AND VEGETABLES

THE POMO BELIEVE THAT THEY MUST SHARE THEIR FOODS AND PRAY TO THEIR CREATOR THAT THEY ARE TAKING SPECIAL PLANTS TO CALM THE EARTH SPIRIT AND WARD OFF EVIL POWERS. THEY SHARE THE HARVEST WITH OTHERS AND BELIEVE SELFISHNESH IS BAD LUCK.

SEAWEED IS LIKE ALGAE AND THEY PRESS IT INTO LEAVES WHEN WET AND EAT THEM RAW. A YUROK ELDER TOLD ME THAT A YOUNG MAN WOULD TRANSPORT A GROUP OF OLDER LADIES UP THE COAST TO COLLECT SEAWEED FOR A FEW DAYS AND PROCESS IT. A SHAMAN WAS SAID TO EAT IT TO INTENSIFY HIS THIRST WHEN REFRAINING FROM THE WATER TO IMPROVE HIS MEDICINE IN HUNTING. SOME NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TRIBES DRY SEAWEED IN THE SUN. 100 YEARS AGO BOTH POMO AND YUKI MADE SPECIAL TRIPS TO THE COAST FOR ABALONE. THEY PREFERRED TO BAKE THE PLANTS AND CHEWED THEM RAW. SOME FOLKS BAKED THEM. IT WAS STORED IN CAKES A FOOT IN DIAMETER AND BAKED IN THE SUN.. KELP WAS GATHERED IN SUMMER AND FALL. THEY COOKED THE STALK IN AN UNDERGROUND OVEN OR HOT ASHES; OR DRIED THEM AS CORDAGE.

SEA PALM WAS CHEWED FRESH BY THE KASKAYA POMO OR BAKED IN AN OVEN OR ASHES. STRIPS WERE DRIED OR LAID IN SUNNY PLACES.

CLOVER WAS RELISHED BY THE POMO (I DON'T THINK THEY EAT IT TODAY). IN THE SPRING THEY FILLED THEIR STOMACHS AS WELL AS BURDEN BASKETS AND BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE VILLAGE. SOMETIMES THEIR STOMACHS WOULD BL THERE WERE OVER 30 SPECIES OF CLOVER COLLECTED AND YOU MAY REFER TO MY OTHER BLOG ON CLOVER AND THEIR CEREMONIES.

EARTH OVENS WERE MADE BY MOST TRIBES AND THE MIWOK BAKED AND STEAMED THE GREENS IN A SMALL PIT OR OVEN LINED WITH HOT ROCKS. GRAY MULES EARS TASTED THE BEST, BUT GRAPE LEAVES OR GREEN TULE COULD ALSO BE USEDE. THEN HOT ROCKS COVERED THE FOOD, AND THEN DIRT WAS PLCED ON TOP. IT WAS BAKED OVERNIGHT. FOOD WAS KEPT IN THESE OVENS. POURING WATER AROUND THE OVEN STEAMED THE FOOD.

TULE AND CATTAIL WERE COLLECTED BY THE MEN IN THE LAKES AND DOVE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKES FOR VERY LONG ROOTSSTOCKS. SOME WERE EATEN RAW, OTHERS WERE COOKED WITH GREEN SEEDS. SOME TRIBES GROUND THE ROOTS INTO FLOUR SOME MADE CAKES OF THE FLOUR. THE YELLOW POLLEN WAS COLLECTED INTO A BOWL. POMO AND COCOPAH ATE RARE POLLEN OF CATTAILS AND MADE A GRUEL OF IT.

SEDGE STEMS WERE EATEN BY THE KAWAIISU

FRESH SHOOTS OF NARROW LEAF MULES EARS WERE WERE EATEN RAW BY THE POMO AND KAROK. THEY ATE MANY FRESH SHOOTS OF PLANTS IN THE SPRING.

AMERICAN VETCH WAS COOKED BY THE POMO AND YUKI AS GREENS IN AN OVEN.

LOMATIUM LEAVES AND STEMS WERE EATEN RAW (SEE MY BLOG ON LOMATIUM ROOT). SOME TRIBES BOILED THE GREENS AND THE FLOWERS.

REDWOOD SORREL LEAVES AND STEMS WERE CHEWED BY THE POMO.

THE MIWOK ATE THE RAW STEMS OF WATER DROPWORT.

WILD RHUBARB STALKS WERE EATEN BY CAHUILLA. IN SPRING TIME THEY ATE WILLOW DOCK. THE STALKS COULD BE RAOSTED IN HOT ASHES.

WILD CELERY COULD BE EATEN BY THE CAHUILLA.

WILD PARSLEY WAS MIXED WITH ACORN SOUP IN VARIOUS TRIBES.

MINERS LETTUCE BLOSSOMS AND LEAVES WERE EATEN BY MOST INDIANS OR BOILED.

PURSLANE WAS ANOTHER GREEN. THE KASHAYA POMO ATE WILD CARROT LEAVES.

WILD ONION WAS BAKED BY THE POMO IN AN OVEN OR EATEN RAW. LEAVES, STALKS, AND HEADS WERE EATEN.

BIGELOW'S COREOPSIS WAS AN IMPORTANT FOOD AMONG THE KAWAIISU. IT WAS CUT OFF AT THE BASE IN THE SPRING. BEFORE BLOOMING AND EATEN RAW. THE STEMS WERE CHEWED FOR SWEAT JUICE.

MILKWEED WAS POISONOUS TO COWS, BUT THE POMO ATE YOUNG BLOSSOMS AND CHESTNUT FOUND THEM PLEASANT!

AGOSERIS JUICE WAS SUCKED FROM THE ROOT BY THE KAROK. THEY BOILED AND ATE THE LEAVES IN THE SPRING.

CALIFORNIA POPPY LEAVES WERE USED AS GREENS AND FLOWERS WERE CHEWED AS A GUM BY THE LUISENO. YUKI FOLKS BOILED THE LEAVES AS GREENS BUT WERE CAREFUL NOT TO DRINK THE WATER.

VINEGAR WEED WAS BREWED INTO A HOT TEA BY THE KUAIISU FOR RELIEF OF COLDS.

PAINTBRUSH FLOWERS WERE PULLED APART BY AND THE NECTAR WAS SIPPED BY MIWOK.

GOOSEFOOT SHOOTS AND LEAVES WERE BOILED AND EATENBY THE CAHUILLA AND OTHER SOUTHERN TRIBES. IT TASTES LIKE LAMBSQUARTERS.

OCOTILLO FLOWERS WERE EATEN IN THE SPRING BY THE CAHILLA OR SOAKED FOR A REFRESHING DRINK.

DANDELION STEMS AND LEAVES WERE EATEN BY THE CHUMASH AND CAHUILLA.

TARWEED SEEDS OF MANY SPECIES WERE PARCHED TO MAKE PINOLE (SEE MY PREVIOUS BLOG). THE CAHUILLA USED THE ENTIRE PLANT.

THE MARIPOSA AND DESERT LILY BULBS WERE EATEN RAW OR BAKED IN AN UNDER GROUND OVEN.

IN MARCH PENNYWORT WAS FOUND ON TOP OF WATER AND USED AS A GREEN.

WHITE SAGE STALKS WERE EATEN RAW BY THE NORTHERN DIEGUENO. IT WAS ALSO USED FOR CLEANSING.

BRACKEN FERN LEAVES AND TENDER STEMS WERE EATEN RAW BY THE ATSUGEWI. CAHUILLA SCRAPED THE SHOOTS AND BOILED THEM. THE POMO USED THIS JUICE FOR DEORDORANT.

THE POMO ATE TREE FUNGUS AND THEY LIKED THE RED EDGED YELLOW FUNGUS THAT GREW ON BLACK AND VALLEY OAKS. A VARIETY OF MUSHROOMS WERE COLLECTED AND GATHERED BY CALIFORNIA NATIVES.

PAUL CAMPBELL