Evening star., 1932-02-15
|AC0RNS REVEALED
AS STAFF OF LIFE
Scientist Calls Diet of Primi.
tive Americans Just as
Wholesome Today.

If the worst comes we can eat acorns
and get fat.
A whole acorn" diet, Dr. Alfred L.
Krober of Columbia University told the
Anthropological Society Of Washington
Thursday night, would be better, so far
as the general health is concerned, than
Whole-Wheat or WhOle-meat diet.
The acorn. better than any of the 9TH
ers, contains the main essentials of a
balanced diet he said. 1t is mostly
starch, the element necessary to fur
nish heat. But there is some fat and
fair amount of protein material,
usually obtained from meat, which is
necessary to build up the body tissues.
In any event, DR.. Kroeber said, many
thousands of Americans lived for many
generations on a diet the principal
constituent of which was acorns. They
ate acorn bread, acorn cruel and acorn
soup-and apparently thrived upon it.
Discusses acorn Culture"
DR.. Kroeber spoke on the so-called
acorn culture" of the primitive peoples
OF California. upon whom he is the
worlds foremost authority. Acorns con-
stituted their principle article of food,
although at most times they varied the
died with other seeds and with small
game.
The acorns were gathered in great
quantities and stored in large basketry
work bins to protect them from rats.
The raw acorns could not be eaten be-
cause they contained large quantities of
tannic acid. but this was eliminated by
poundingS tine kernels into flour and
then bleaching with hot water. This
was accomplished by heating stones
and placing them in a pitch-covered
basket containing water. Bread was
made from the acorn meal and. DR..
Kroeber said. this proved a valuable
food not only to the Indians but to the
early white immigrants to the Pacific
Coast.
The dwellings of the California In
dlans, DR.. Kroeber said, were brush
or bark huts. Almost all the tribes
had assembly houses, or sweat houses, -
generally larger than the dwellings,
These sweat houses were used by the
men almost daily, and the practice of
sweating" was more of a habit than
medical procedure
Arts Were Primitive.
The arts among these people, Prof
kroeber said, were exceptionally primi-
tive. Only weaving of baskets had
reached an outstanding development.
AHe!e we're TWO xmas OF boats, the
wooden canoe and the losenge-shaped
raft made of rushes The canoes. made
by burning and scraping the interior
from a split redwood log, were used
mainly IN voyages off the coast, chiefly
to the outlying islands.
Inc only true musical instrument
found among them, DR.. Kroeber said
is the flute. 1t has four holes grouped
IN Two pairs and has no definite scale
Inc hute Is used both in recreation and
courtShlp. Three types of rattles are
o1ten used during religious ceremonies
ana Whistles of bone or cans are en-
ployed for keeping time during dances
Office of Chief Hereditary.
The office of chief, DR.. Kroeber said
was IN most cases hereditary, but in
some parts of the State a chief was
elected from among the Weather men
Inere was very marked class con-
sclousness between the rich and the
poor OF this primitive folk. Marriage
generally was by purchase. At the death
OF a husband the widow clipped q,
slnged off her hair and covered this
stubble, as we'll as her face, with pitch
From the time of the first European
settlement. DR.. Kroeber said the Cali.
| fornia tribes were both more primitive
ana more peaceful than the majority OF
the indians OF North America. They
1ought only in defense of their villages
Men captured in warfare were killed
and decapltated on the spot. Scalps
were taken, brought home in triumnh
ana mace the object OF celebrations.