Native American agriculture and ethnobotany have been an essential component of their survivability following the Hunter-Gatherer era. Specifically for Southern California Native Americans, ethnobotany and agriculture plays an integral role in Native American culture through their religion, their constant migration and their overall daily routines, this demonstrates an agriculture-centric society, however, with the arrival and influence of the Spaniards and Americans, this relationship between the Native Americans and their agriculture has shifted negatively.
Plants and the environment played an important role in Native-American culture. Firstly, the Native American religion featured the importance of plants and animals in their mythology …show more content…
For example, if they lacked resources such as willows and acorns, they would either pull from their food reserves or would use alternative plants to achieve the same results. Furthermore, plants such as acorns and willows serves a great purpose to the society of the Natives, tribes such as the Dieguenos and Kumeyaays use acorns as a food staple, however, the process required to turn acorns into an edible meal demands a lot of work. The first step needed is to dry the acorns ranging from a few days to a week. Afterwards, the acorns are cracked and grinded into flour and is later on soaked in water to leach the tannic acid, a bitter and toxic acid, away. Finally, the acorn flour is used for cooking and is used to make bread, soups and snacks. Consequently, Natives that are mostly sedentary increase their production of acorn flour and other food sources for use during winter and early spring months, where food gathering becomes rough. The natives then store these supplies in food mills that keeps the food away from wild animals and are accessible for later use. Likewise, willows are also used abundantly by the Native Americans. Willows are used primarily in basket weaving, where the Natives remove chunks of the willow and the willow roots to use as a foundation for their baskets. The importance of baskets in the Native Indian culture stems from the need for different types of containers. There are many baskets made that are capable of holding water and sustaining hot temperatures. Baskets have many uses in the Native society.
Plants and the environment played an important role in Native-American culture. Firstly, the Native American religion featured the importance of plants and animals in their mythology …show more content…
For example, if they lacked resources such as willows and acorns, they would either pull from their food reserves or would use alternative plants to achieve the same results. Furthermore, plants such as acorns and willows serves a great purpose to the society of the Natives, tribes such as the Dieguenos and Kumeyaays use acorns as a food staple, however, the process required to turn acorns into an edible meal demands a lot of work. The first step needed is to dry the acorns ranging from a few days to a week. Afterwards, the acorns are cracked and grinded into flour and is later on soaked in water to leach the tannic acid, a bitter and toxic acid, away. Finally, the acorn flour is used for cooking and is used to make bread, soups and snacks. Consequently, Natives that are mostly sedentary increase their production of acorn flour and other food sources for use during winter and early spring months, where food gathering becomes rough. The natives then store these supplies in food mills that keeps the food away from wild animals and are accessible for later use. Likewise, willows are also used abundantly by the Native Americans. Willows are used primarily in basket weaving, where the Natives remove chunks of the willow and the willow roots to use as a foundation for their baskets. The importance of baskets in the Native Indian culture stems from the need for different types of containers. There are many baskets made that are capable of holding water and sustaining hot temperatures. Baskets have many uses in the Native society.