Acorn Eater Presentation_Observation & Analysis

7/31/2019 Acorn Eater Presentation_Observation & Analysis

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Kiwinyanya:n-qeh (The Acorn Eater Way):

A Staple Food for the

Hoopa Valley Tribe

Daniel Shull

Anthropology 3500Dr. Beverly Ortiz

Fall 2010


2/11

Daniel Shull

Anthropology 3500

Dr. Beverly Ortiz

Due: 11/29/10

This paper is based on field research conducted on November 17 th at the Native

American Cultural Center, Clubhouse Ground Floor, 524 Lasuen Mall, Stanford University in

Palo Alto, CA. I both observed and participated in the event titled Kiwinyanya:n-qeh (The

Acorn Eater Way) with Melodie George-Moore, Hupa from Hoopa, a Hupa language and history

teacher, and medicine woman of Hupa tradition, sponsored by the Anthropology Department,

the Archaeology Department, Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE),

the Creative Writing Program, the English Department, Muwekma-Tah-Ruk, Native American

Studies (NAS), the Native American Cultural Center (NACC), and the Stanford American Indian

Organization (SAIO). The event was scheduled to start at 6:30 PM on November 17th, and did

not have a scheduled ending time. I did not observe and participate in the entire event, but was

there from 6:40 PM until the event ended at approximately 9:00 PM.

In the first part of this paper, I will describe the event setting, what happened at the event,

what foods were presented at the event, and what was said and shown at the event. In the second

part of this paper, I will compare and contrast the focus of this event with the economic systems

of other tribes in different culture areas, in particular the primary food source(s), procurement

and seasonality.

Part I

Setting:

The event took place in a single room located in the Native American Cultural Center

Clubhouse ground floor, at 524 Lasuen Mall on the Stanford University Campus. The room was

approximately 25 feet by 20 feet; two of the walls were exterior walls, and had windows

extending nearly the full length of the wall. The room and seating arrangements were oriented

approximately northward, with a television at the north wall; in order southward, there was a

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Daniel Shull

Anthropology 3500

Dr. Beverly Ortiz

Due: 11/29/10

long sectional couch with two corner pieces, approximately 10 stackable chairs behind the couch

and then five single occupant cushion chairs against the south wall. On the right side of the

room were four rectangular tables arranged in a larger rectangle. There were several different

food items on the tables, as well as plates and plastic ware. The room had Halloween

decorations fake spider webs, spiders and pumpkins and also American Indian posters and

prints, such as the Stanford Pow-Wow posters for years 2005 through 2008 inclusive and at least

two pieces of art that resembled Tlingit artwork. The number of people attending the event

varied somewhat over the course of the evening, ranging between 30 at the peak to 15 at the

close of the event.

The food on the table consisted of: a large round platter of salad greens, a small plastic

container of pine nuts, a slightly larger container of granola, a plate of ripe raspberries, a bottle of

store-bought dressing (I did not record the exact brand), a bowl of pan bread (a baked version of

fry bread), at least three jars of half-dried salmon, a gallon container of acorn soup (made from

water and acorn meal), three varieties of dried seaweed, a crock pot of deer gravy and a foil pan

with baked potatoes. Also present on the table were two cardboard beverage flats with

unprocessed acorns in them.

The presenter for this event was Melodie George-Moore, a member of the Hoopa Valley

Tribe, located northeast of Humboldt city, in California and the California Culture Area. Her

goal for this event was to educate the attendees about the acorn, its use and significance to the

Hupa tribe, the concept of sustainability and how it applies to both the Hoopa Valley Tribe of

today and to others.

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Daniel Shull

Anthropology 3500

Dr. Beverly Ortiz

Due: 11/29/10

The Event:

When I arrived, George-Moore had already begun her presentation. She was telling the

attendees about the Acorn Eater Way, and that the food on the table was primarily the food

that was available for members of the Hupa people over the past several thousand years. Then

she began describing a prayer that would take place at ceremonies, which would consist of three

food items and a specific phrase to be said over the first two items before eating, and asked that

the attendees participate in this prayer. The first item was Chinook salmon, caught on the

river, half dried and jarred (this was later noted as being a food that the Hupa received in trade

from the Yurok); the English translation of the phrase to be said before eating the salmon was,

When the time comes again, may I eat this salmon. The next item was acorn soup; the English

translation of the phrase was, When the time comes, may I eat this again. The third item was a

small amount of clean, clear water, used to wash down the food. She talked about how in lean

times, these three items were always offered, and that during ceremonies the elders would be

served first. She also noted that it was customary for the medicine person to humbly serve the

people.

At this point in the event, two or three people began passing out small paper bowls with a

small bit of salmon (no more than an ounce) as well as plastic cups with acorn soup (between

one and two fluid ounces). George-Moore then asked that the attendees say the prayer in the

language of the Hupa people prior to eating the portion of salmon and acorn soup. She said the

words and the attendees repeated them. After this, the presenter invited everyone to get some

water, and then eat from the foods that had been provided for this event.

During the meal, George-Moore talked about several things: that the meal was cow-

free; a health problem of hers (unnamed, but most likely previously stated) that had been

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Daniel Shull

Anthropology 3500

Dr. Beverly Ortiz

Due: 11/29/10

resolved by changing her diet to more closely resemble that of her ancestors (including the idea

of eating fleet-footed foods such as deer); archaeological evidence that dated fire pits in the

Hoopa Valley Tribe area to between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago, and argued for continuous

inhabitation for that length of time; and the fact that on the reservation the tribe members have to

deal with a USDA provided modern diet.

After everyone had eaten, the presenter resumed her presentation by explaining why she

made the journey to talk to the attendees. She began by stating that she was a spiritual person,

and recounted a dream she had: she was outside her grandmothers house where she met a

gentleman she had never seen before. In the dream, the man appeared to approach menacingly

and she told him, I have no money, but I can feed you. She then said when she did research on

Leland Stanford prior to this presentation, she found that the man in her dream precisely

resembled a young Leland Stanford. As she explained it, the dream was the first reason she

came to Stanford University to give this presentation. The second reason was that an attendee

had posed a question about the large number of acorns on the campus to the George-Moores

Facebook account. The third reason was that as she was moving her granary earlier in the year,

someone asked her, Whats with all these nuts?

George-Moore began the next stage of the presentation by showing several images on the

television via a laptop. The images were predominantly of acorns at various stages (still green

on the tree and in large numbers around tree trunks) though images were also shown of baskets

and tools used in the processing of acorns, as well as a picture of the presenter and her family,

two of whom wore woven hats meant to resemble acorn caps.

During this and the following stages of the presentation, George-Moore made reference

to two translations of specific words in the Hupa language, emphasizing the connection of the

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Daniel Shull

Anthropology 3500

Dr. Beverly Ortiz

Due: 11/29/10

people to their food source. First, the word for acorn soup translates to the liquid you put in

your mouth. Second, she stated that the word for human being translates to acorn eater.

As George-Moore continued, the acorn harvest for the Hupa people would take place at

very close to the same time of year as the presentation. It involved collection (a time intensive

process, the ultimate antithesis to fast food), drying (generally for a year) and storing, cracking

and peeling the nut, drying, grinding, sifting and leaching the meat for use. This was a

communal activity for the women, and they were judged on the quality of their acorn meat.

The presenter said that it was necessary to be intimate with your food source and familiar

with the trees, as the acorns that could be harvested might not be from the tree they were directly

under. She also noted that the tan oak (though not an oak by modern scientific nomenclature)

acorn was the primary source of acorns for the Hupa due to shortened soaking times and the

relative sweetness of the meat.

George-Moore stressed the importance of taking care of the trees that were their food

source. Part of this involved tending the trees with fire (though she did not mention specific

techniques or practices) and in part using tobacco as both an offering to the tree spirit and as a

fertilizer. She said that as long as there was an acorn tree, you wont starve. She mentioned

that the Hupa people kept herds of elk, and that both elk and deer ate acorns.

The presenter also focused on the concept of sustainability. As part of the history of the

Hoopa Valley Tribe, they became a logging tribe in the early 20 th century, first cutting down

cedar then Douglas fir. She said that the tribe matched themselves to the life cycle of the plant,

and therefore did not force the plant into human life cycles. As an example of this, she told a

story that during a famine the tribe experienced, they sought an alternate food source and

eventually settled on salmon. However, as part of this, the people studied the life cycle of the

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Daniel Shull

Anthropology 3500

Dr. Beverly Ortiz

Due: 11/29/10

salmon so that they understood it, and inserted themselves into the cycle. For George-Moore,

sustainability also means using food sources for clothing as well, such as maple bark skirts.

George-Moore did not talk in any detail about preparing acorns to be edible, instead

providing three handouts to the attendees. The first handout was a copy of an article from the

Fall 2005 issue of News from Native California entitled, Beautiful Tree: California Indians and

Oaks. The second handout was designed for the 5th grade class that she teaches, and examines

acorns as a staple food for the Hupa Indians. The third handout was designed for a wider

audience, and focuses specifically on the processing of tan oak acorns for eating.

The presenter also shared an origin story about the tan oak acorn. In this story, four

acorn maidens were preparing for a party to welcome human beings. Three of them spent time

making elaborate caps while the tan oak was busy with other things. At the party, the tan oaks

cap was not as elaborate as those of the other acorn maidens, and they made fun of her for this.

As the tan oak acorn maiden ran out of the part, she was met by a spirit who praised her for

doing important work and not being prideful; the spirit then rewarded the acorn maiden by

making her the sweetest.

Then George-Moore talked about one method of preparing of acorn soup. She talked

about finding appropriate rocks, identifying them by characteristics such as being rounded, their

smoothness, and their color. These rocks would then be heated in a fire made from either

madrone or manzanita woods, and then transferred to a basket with the soup. She estimated that

it would take about 20 minutes for one hand-sized stone to cook the acorn soup in a small basket

(from displayed images, approximately a foot in diameter), with corresponding increases or

decreases depending on the size of the basket, and the number or size of the stones used. After

the stones were used, they were put back into the fire, so the spirits can eat too. She also

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Daniel Shull

Anthropology 3500

Dr. Beverly Ortiz

Due: 11/29/10

showed a paddle made from wood that was used to stir the acorn soup and transfer rocks from

the soup back into the fire.

At the end of the presentation, George-Moore closed with a song. As she said, songs are

involved in a number of ceremonies and activities, such as using a grinding song to keep your

mind on track, or a steaming song as a cooking timer. In this case, the song that she and her

daughter (a Stanford student and organizer of the event) sang was a blessing song. They used

bundles of hazel sticks, approximately three feet in length, to keep time. They repeated the song

three times, and then George-Moore closed the event.

Following the event, George-Moore spoke with some of the attendees who remained.

She spent around another five to ten minutes speaking with two attendees who seemed to have a

primarily scholarly interest in the processing of acorns; I missed portions of the discussion that

would have provided more specific information.

Part II

The acorn as staple / primary food for the Hupa:

Over the course of the evening, George-Moore gave evidence linking the acorn to the

Hupa people in both cultural and economic terms. For example, identifying a human being as an

acorn eater and acorn soup as the liquid you put in your mouth, noting that a woman was

judged on the quality of her acorn meat (and therefore her harvesting and processing skills), and

the presenters statement about acorns providing enough food to keep a person fed all

demonstrate the importance of the acorn to the Hupa.

The acorns that George-Moore brought were gathered by taking them after they had

fallen from the trees; she did note after the event that you would not want to harvest the acorns

until after they had fallen. One of the handouts references having a grade school take a field trip

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Daniel Shull

Anthropology 3500

Dr. Beverly Ortiz

Due: 11/29/10

n

Hupa.

to an oak grove for collection of five pounds of tan oak acorns, so that students would be aware

of the time and work involved. An image was shown of acorns covering between 60 and 80

percent of the ground around the base of a tree without noting whether this was typical.

Collection takes place primarily from September through mid-November, based on the

informational handouts and the presenters own words. The acorns themselves can be stored for

up to five years; George-Moore said she generally did not keep unshelled acorns longer than that.

The California culture area:

In This Land Was Theirs, the author uses the Desert Cahuilla as his example of a group

in the California culture area. He notes that acorns were not as important for the Cahuilla as they

were for other tribes in this culture area,1 though they were still part of that tribes diet.

Mesquite beans, the primary staple for the Cahuilla, were cached for later processing (rather tha

cached for drying), but otherwise were used similarly to how they were used by the

The Great Basin culture area:

The Western Shoshone used a broad range of edible plants 2 for their food sources over

the course of the year, rather than focus exclusively on one during any one season. They made

use of the plants as materials for artifacts like baskets3

in a way that recalls George-Moores

emphasis on the aspect of sustainability by using more of the plant than just the seeds. This tribe

also employs some horticulture by pruning the plants used for arrow shafts and baskets, in

addition to scattering seeds for future growth.4 As an example, rather than collecting for an

entire year worth of use, Western Shoshone inhabitants of the Ruby Valley would collect enough

1 Wendell H. Oswalt, This Land Was Theirs (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2009), 2442 Oswalt, 1743 Oswalt, 1744 Oswalt, 174

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Daniel Shull

Anthropology 3500

Dr. Beverly Ortiz

Due: 11/29/10

pine nuts for one season (winter), and then harvest other edibles in the spring. 5

The Southwest culture area:

The Hopi used maize as their primary plant food source, with planting beginning in late

February and agricultural work continuing through to the harvest of the ears of maize. 6 They

also cultivated other food sources, such as beans (kidney and tepary) and squash,7 demonstrating

a contrast between themselves (dedicated cultivators) and the Hupa, who foraged acorns but

practiced some land management.

The Northwest Coast culture area:

The Tlingit did not rely on plant sources for their food as the tribes in the preceding

examples did, but instead on an abundance of animals, including salmon and candlefish (both

important staples), clams, mussels, seals and sea lions.8 Hunting for food took place from March

or April through September, though it was not until September that the people began to catch

greater quantities of food for storage through the winter.9

The Subarctic culture area:

The Chipewyan primary food source was the caribou, hunted both during the spring

(when the caribou were lean) and during the fall (when they had more fat).10

The Chipewyan

moved from place to place in order to hunt caribou, and used dried meat or pemmican for this. 11

The Chipewyan are also known to have caught fish and other types of animals (such as bear and

5 Oswalt, 1776 Oswalt, 310-17

Oswalt, 3108 Oswalt, 270-19 Oswalt, 271-210 Oswalt, 10911 Oswalt, 108-9

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Daniel Shull

Anthropology 3500

Dr. Beverly Ortiz

Due: 11/29/10

11

beaver), but plant products were eaten during times of scarcity.12

The Plateau culture area:

Among the Kootenai, fish, deer and ducks were the most important food sources, hunted

as a cooperative effort among family groups and led by a formal leader. 13 Specific fish were

harvested during particular seasons (such as burbot during the winter), deer were hunted in

February and duck in summer.14 Women would harvest both camas bulbs and two varieties of

berries, specifically salmonberries and huckleberries; the berries were either eaten fresh or stored

for the winter.15

Conclusion:

The Hupa focus on the acorn as a food staple becomes apparent in the importance of the

acorn in aspects of their culture, such as in creation stories, language, and material culture. As

presented by George-Moore, the acorn represents not only a food but a way of life and of

behavior. The Acorn Eater Way takes available resources into account and links the people

with those resources at an intimate level.

The Hupa are not unique in harvesting a major food crop during the season it is available

(for example, maize for the Hopi and fish, deer, and ducks for the Kootenai), nor are they unique

in relying heavily on a single food source (for example, the Chipewyan reliance on caribou).

Where they do differ is in the time necessary to process the food for use by the tribe members, as

well as the extent of time that the food can be stored; most of the contrasted tribes reference

storage over months rather than years, and with the exception of the mesquite beans, the food

(either stored or fresh) does not require extensive preparation.

12 Oswalt, 110-113 Oswalt, 14414 Oswalt, 14515 Oswalt, 146

Acorn Eater Presentation_Observation & Analysis

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