Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-12-15
MEAL WAS MADE OF AcoRNs
Fosd Supply of American Indians Be-
fore Wheat and Corn Were
Made Use OF.

BY IndiaA meal is commonly under
stood meal made OF maize, or Indian
corn; but In some parts Of the country
a more primitive meal was made fre7n
acorns. Mr.. Galen CLARK, In his book
on the Indians OF the Yosemite" "a
scribes in full the food supply OF the
pative tribes. That portion OF their
rationa which may be cIasssd as bread
stuffs eonsjstS Of scorns, obtained from
the black oak, SO beautiful and 80
abundant In the Yosemite valley.
The acorns are gathered In the fall,
when they are ripe, and are preserved
tox future use IN the old-Style Indian
cache. or storeheuse. This consists q
structure which the Indians cal
chnek-aA. It Is large rsseptaSis q
basket shape, made Of long wttow
sprouts closely woven together.
It rs usually about SIX feet higA ard
three test In diameter. II Is set Gpea
ssoHt posts aboHt three feet high. afe
supported IN position by four longer
posts on the outsids. roaming b the
top, and there bound firmly tossther
10 keep them from spreading. Ths e1rt-
siaS Of the basket Is thstshsd VIVA
small pine branches, laid points Down
ward to shed the rain and snow, and -
protect the contents from the dsprsde-
lions Of squirrels and woodpesRsrs
When the baskets are full the top n
also covered with bark, as q protsoAsa
from the winter storms. When the
acornB are wanted for use small kois
is made at the bottom Of the ehuek-eh.
and they are taken ont az required.
The acorns are bitter, and are not
eaten in their natural condition, bat
have to be elaborately prepared and
cooked to make them palatable. T1rst
the hull " cracked and removed and
the kernel pounded or ground TO fine
meal. In the Yosemite valley thh was
done by grinding with stone psstiss IA
stone mortars, worn by long usage, In
large hat-top granite rocks, one Of
which was near every Indian camp
Lower down in the foothills, where
there are no suitable largo rocks for
these permanent mortars, tho Indians
used single portable stone moYtars fer
this purpose
After the acorns are ground to a
hns meal the next process Is to take
out the bitter tannin principle. This
Is done In the following manner: TIE
Indians make large, shallow basins in
clean-washed sand, in which are laid
few fiat, fan-like ends OF fir branches.
A fire Is then made nearby, and small
stones are heated, with which water is
warmed. This is mixed with the acorn
meal until the mass has the consissen-
cy Of thin Cruel This mixture is porr
ed into the sand basins, and as the
water runs out 1t takes with 1t the Bit
ter quality. The water Is renewed IN
til all the bitter taste Is washed out
from the meal
Then the meal Is put into cooking
baskets, thinned down with hot water
to the desired condition, and cooked by
means of hot stones, which are held
on It by two sticks for tongs. While
the mush is cooking 1t is stirred with
a stick made Of a tough oak sprout
doubled so as to form = round, open
loop at one end.
When the dough is well cooked It is
either left In tbs baskets or scceped
out In rolls and put into cold water to
cool and harden.
Sometimes the thick pasta IL made
into cakes and baked on hot rocks One
Of these cakes, when rolled in paper.
will In short time saturate the paper |
with oil.
This acorn food is probably as nutri- |
tious as that made from any of the |
cereals.