Poge 4
KLAMATH TRIBUNE
SEPTEMBER 1960
MAKING WOCUS COMPLEX JOB, ONE HUNTING SEASON SLATED TO OPEN,
THAT DIFFERS LITTLE FROM EARLY DAYS HUNTERS CAUTIONED ON FIRE HAZARD
Following is the first part of a
two-part article on the art of
wocus processing, past and pres
ent. While few may realize it. the
wocus season has just reached its
culmination.
What is wocus?, it may reason
ably he asked, as ahout the only
general usae one now finds for
the term is as a placename for
several local points.
Wocus, or uokas, is a Klamath
Indian word. In the Klamath'
native culture, the term referred
to a hasic part of the tribal diet,
a food as staple as, for instance,
bread in other societies. Wocus
amounted to the wheat of the
Klamath Indians, a rainliUc sub
stance for which thev found
diverse dietary uses.
Toda. of course, wocus has
receded" into the background as a
Klamath food. It is still gathered,
however, by a lather exclusive
;;ioup, composed of several ele
ments : a limited number of tribal
members, carrying on the tribal
tradition; gourmets or other per
m.iis seeking ultra specialized
fare; persons with a scholarly in
terest in the Klamath culture,
learning more about this partic
ular phase through a reeuactmeut
of it. Some wocus gathers would
no doubt fall in all three of these
categories.
Wocus, in the roiih. is the seed
of the water lily plant, found in
such plenitude in b a s and
marshx aieas of Aj.;euc and
Klamath Lakes ami in Klamath
Maish. As such, it iiiij;ht be
equated to grains t;iuiiu; in
waterv areas Mich as rice. Wocus
itself appeals to be claMliahlr as
a ;rain under Webster's detini
tion of rain as "the seeds or
fruits of various food plants . . .".
lYrtaink it is a seed and the tie
f;iec to which the Klaiuaths jath
eied it mtmiI toclassjiv them as
a secd-i;athci int; tribe.
Having found wocus to be a
fool, readers will doubtless want
to know the ptoccdurc for in
cessjn it from lily pod to din
ner (or breakfast ) table.
Comparing the procedure fol
lowed b the Klaiuaths when
atherin wocus as a vital food
crop, and that adopted by modern
devotees, it is plain that the
changes are merely in the equip
ment used. Thus where the earl)
gatherers embarked in dugouts,
today the more maneuvcrablr
canoe is used. Where the Klaiu
aths used their hand-woven tule
baskets to accumulate the lily
pods, a jrunuy sack is now a more
likely receptacle.
I'ut whether one is in dugout or
canoe late summer is the time to
gather wocus. (iuidin the craft
through the water lily ponds of
Agency Lake. Klamath Lake,
Klamath Marsh, or other local
ities, the easily-found pods are
plucked and placed in the unny
sack (or tule basket or other con
tainer). A fact loiitf noted, the
pods vary according to maturity.
The fully mature pod was most
prized by the Klaiuaths as con
taining larger, whiter, more pal
atable seeds. These qualities
would presumably serve to make
the fully mature variety the most
popular today. Lull maturity is
indicated when the pod bursts
open irregularly at the base on
bein picked with the white,
mealy interior beinnin a mucil
aginous dissolution as soon as it
is brought into contact with the
water and the seeds bein scat
tered in the water. The Klaiuaths
had a special name, spokwas. for
this fully mature seed, which ap
plied as well to the dissolving pod
and to the mass formed when
gathered. This spokwas, however
superior, constitutes only a small
part (about 1 ()'"' ) of the pods
available at a iveu time, due to
the rapid dissolution of the fully
ripened pods, and thus it is cus
tomary to pick the less mature
pods also to secure a reasonably
lar;;c atherin.
What was done with the pods
uce gathered and brought into
the dugouts? What is done with
them todax ? C'oinp.rin the old
methodology of processing the
seeds into edible wocus with the
new . it is aain apparent that the
changes have been mainly stiper
llotis. Thus where the original
gatherers Used stone inullers and
platters to tinI the seeds a
coffee grinder miht be employed
toda as a means of less exertion.
The wind was orijiuallv relied on
to winnow out seed shells from
the seeds, but an electric fan is
often Used now to speed things
up. And of course, various other
implements used today in the
wocus process frying pans, wire
screens, metal tubs, etc. -- were
unknow n to the earlier gatherers.
Hut the objective of the wocus
pioccsser remains: to convert the
raw material, the seed in the pod,
into one of the basic types de
fined by the Klaiuaths- spokwas.
lowak. stoutablaks, or awal. and
thence into various savory de
rivatives. Next month How to make
spokwas.
SALKM, ORE.. September 26
(Special) There will be no clos
ing of the forests to hunters when
the bi (jaine season gets under
way next Saturday in case pres
ent weather conditions hold, ac
cording to a statement issued to
day by State Forester D. L.
I'hipps. However, he added, that
at the present time the hazardous
areas of the state are under con
trolled entry and all hunters
should check with the wardens
and rangers to determine whether
conditions are such that the per
mits will be issued.
Where entry permits are issued
the hunter must carry tools suit
able for fighting forest fires if
he plans to camp at some spot
other than a posted and desig
nated camp ground, the forester
added. The tools include an axe,
shovel and bucket.
"At the present time hazardous
conditions exist in the southern
and eastern part of the state,"
the forester said. "There has been
little rain for the past two or
three months and the hunter
should exercise extreme care in
the use of fire.
"Wanning fires are not per
mitted during the closed season
and the season will not end until
general statewide rains occur and
a proclamation is issued by the
governor."
In the northwestern part of the
state there has been some rain
and at present the hazard is low.
Phipps added that with high
temperatures and east winds fire
conditions could get extremely
hazardous in a very short time.
He pointed out that some of
Oregon's most disastrous fires
have occurred in late faU.
Have you registered to vote?
Mi i
G-U
DEADLINE FOR REGISTERING IN
OREGON IS OCTOBER 7,1960
(R jistr.it. f -n is n , siify if: I. Y u nro ,1 row reside n t but will hflvo beer
in Oroion $i months by Nov. 7; 2. You hvo moved sinco the last time
ycu v-1; 3. Yoj kie c'.-iniid ycur Ijst n.vic; 4. Your registration W5S
cflfCf'f J fcr f.ii'urr to vrc in at least ore election in 1958.)
For the County, State and National
Elections Register at any of the
Following Places:
BEATTY: Jesse L. Kirk, Sr., residence.
CHILOQUIN: Markwardt Garage and Claudia Lorenz
residence.
KLAMATH FALLS: County Clerk's office in Klamath
County Courthouse; Fire Station at Broad and Wall
Sts.; Union Hall at 202 Main St.; Southern Pacific
office, Helen Moss.
FOR THE CITY OF CHILOQUIN
ELECTION REGISTER AT THE
CHILOQUIN CITY HALL.
REGISTER - THEN VOTE
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the People.