Spilyqy Tytnoo, Warm Springs, Oregon May 17, 2001
Uradittioiial foods
follow seaso
Bj George Agmlar
The editors at Spilyay Tymoo have approached me to write an article on
Indian foods. This will be an excerpt from the book I'm writing titled:
"When the River Ran Wild." The book is about my people of Warm Springs
n the era from the late 1700s to mid-1930s.
The elderly women of the village clans provided an equivalent college
Jegrec in botany, ller word and advice was law. Seasonal migrations of
Harvesting the native foods depended entirely
jpon the elderly women, time of harvest were
jauged by weather conditions, perhaps observ
ng the telltale signs of the moon. In the Co
umbia River system, the salmon's appearance
n the river was probably the ultimate indica
:or for the timetable of edible root harvest for
he kiksht Wasco and Tenino Shahaptin. To the
Iygh Shahaptin, the appearance of the stone
flies (salmon flies) and swallows, according to
:oyotc stories, welcomed the advent of the
:hinook salmon and root harvest. The migra
don to the harvesting area had to be of the right
places and the right time of year.
Root food seeds germinate best where the
?oil is constantly disturbed (from digging). This
is likened unto a farmer tilling their fields for
planting of a crop. It was the elderly women
who caused the roots to flourish because of their constant return to the
iccustomed gathering places. It was the elderly women who retained the
botanical information. She knew of all the edible roots, leaves, barks, mush
rooms, berries and stems. She also held a vast knowledge of pharmacology
Tautnuk - the science of drugs), of which barks and roots to use for known
disease and control. She was a physician (doctor). She extracted the poison
Df rattlesnakes for abortions and she was the
Dne to administer it. Some pharmacists believe
that American Indian people's knowledge of
herbal medicines equaled or maybe even sur
passed modern man's expertise with natural
drugs.
She was the master burn ecologist, getting
forests to burn for an abundant return of the
huckleberries. She sometimes was the psychia
trist, priest (Indian doctor Taw-te). She defi
nitely was a historian. Her wisdom and knowl
sdge was held in high regard within the family
clan. Lewis and Clark's observation in their
journals noted that when an elderly woman
spoke all ears were focused upon her speech
with great attentiveness. She sat in the chief
places of the lodge. Clan members made men
tion that she was well taken care of. When asked her age the reply was, she
had lived for over a hundred winters, according to the journals.
With God's abundant temporal gifts (foods), there never was such a
thing as going hungry. If there was such a thing, then it was considered a
very grave and shameful situation, . ' .
Indian foods, specificallycelery (xamsi) and the chinoof salmon "were
like brothers, wherever the xamsi sprouted, salmon were present in that
area. The harvesting of xamsi usually followed the spring run chinook
salmon, as they migrated to their accustomed places of spawning. When
the spring-run chinook salmon run was near its end in the mid-Columbia
River, roots and xamsi could be found maturing on the flat benches over
looking the Columbia River between Mosier and The Dalles. About three
weeks later as the salmon migration progressed to Sherars Bridge, xamsi
and roots were emerging above the canyons on the east side of the Deschutes
River. Approximately mid-April and early-May, when salmon are present
in the Warm Springs River area, Xamsi is starting to sprout at this place.
When the spring chinook salmon have reached their destination in June,
xamsi is coming to a close at the Log Springs area northwest of Simnasho.
If anyone desires the taste of xamsi at this time of the year, they will have
to go to the ceded area cast of the reservation near Shaniko. In the scmi
meadowed high elevation valleys, xamsi could be found, which began to
mature about mid-June and ended near July. In mid-August to early Sep
tember both xamsi and the chinook salmon have propagated, thus a new
cycle begins.
Xamsi was not only a food of high calcium, magnesium and zinc value,
but was also used as a mystical avenue into the supernatural world. The
method used was somewhat like the Urim
anu i numin ot tne Is
raelites of the Holy
Bible. When put to
Urim and Thumin a
question of yes or no,
the Israelites were
given an answer super
naturally by means of
this method. It was
about 1938 when I saw
how this was done
with the xamsi.
Grandmother made an
inquiry into the super
natural world about
the fish and the eel run
of the Five Mile Rap
ids area along the Columbia River. The answer came
as a positive yes. A few days transpired, my uncle
Leonard Polk Sr. came with several sacks of salmon
and eels to our strawberry harvesting camp at Sandy.
Every tribal member in the camp rejoiced because of the fresh eels and
salmon. In later years, about the spring of 1956, I demonstrated the xamsi
phenom
enon to my
wife,
which re
sulted in an
astonishing
accuracy of
the answer.
W hen
harvesting
xamsi,
of
ten showed
me which
of the
plants was the most succulent. She would
often tell me in Indian not to pick any ush-wy-ni, Tasting the red-stemmed
ush-wy-ni often resulted in a bitter taste experience. Caution! Do not drink
soda pop when eat this stem. The result will be severe body convulsions,
and maybe even death. , , 3 ,
The camas (Camasia quamash), Indian name, (waq'amu) bulb must come
to a full bloom before harvesting, , because thereare two kinds,, one has a
blue blossom and the other has a white top. Beware of the white blossom,
it is a deadly poison boy! Poison" extracted from the white-blossomed plant
may have been used in small streams in earlier years to poison a small area,
so it may be harvest for an immediate meal. This plant could possibly be
used by applying the poison to the dps of arrows to immobilize deer and
other animals. The bulb of the blue camas is delicious when barbequed
Indian style. Waq'amu has a high energy value, fat carbohydrate, fiber,
calcium, iron and riboflavin. The destruction of this plant by Euro-American
settlers was the cause for most of the Indian Wars that took place in the
Willamette Valley during the mid-1850s.
Biscuit Root (lomatium cous) Indian name (x'aush) was harvested on
the plateau between Wolford Canyon and Mum-yet-tut canyon. It is also
found on Miller Flat. This root is usually harvested in very rocky areas. It
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es, each other
has a yellow flower, resembling the xamsi. In the early times a hunter car
ried only five each of this root. Five is the magic number for the Kiksht
(Wasco). When a drying method is used, it is peeled of its skin and sun
dried on tule mats, It has the highest energy value (kilo calories) carbohy
drate and calcium is very high.
Canby's desert parsley (lomatium canbyi) Indian name (luksh) was of
ten peeled and eaten raw, In the earlier times this root was smashed with a
mortar and pestle. In the early 1930s it was my duty as a child to grind
these roots with 1 hand-turned meat grinder. A small
amount was grasped and smashed in the palm and
fingers to form a small cake. It was then laid out in
the sun to dry on a canvas or tule mats. When dried
it was stored in large sally bags. The place of har
vest is nearly all over the arid part of this reserva
tion. When dried it is very good, especially eaten
while hunting on foot. It has a very high cartohy
drate and calcium content.
Bitter-root (lewisia rediviva) Indian name (piaxi)
can be found on the reservation at Webster Flat,
and off reservation near Paulina and Shaniko. This
root grows in nearly all of the western states. It usu
ally can be found in arid and rocky areas. In the
earlier times the old-timers said this was sort of a
medicine (antibiotic) for tuberculosis. However, I
believe the very high content of calcium was the
cause for suppressing the tuberculosis. When a high
calcium diet is imposed the TB germs are isolated
by build-up of calcium (bone) of the infected por
tion of the diseased area. When cooked with salmon
this provided a very balanced diet of high energy value. Carohydrate, cal
cium, thiamin and ascorbic acid. All these nutritive values are very high in
content in the root. The salmon provides
additional carbohydrate, calcium, protein
and the highest thiamin of all Indian flesh
foods.
Nuts (acorn) Indian name (wa-wa-chi)
was the fruit of the oak tree, consisting of a
thick walled nut usually set in a woody,
cuplike base. Lewis and Clark saw this nut
used at the John Day Shahaptin Village on
the mouth of the John Day River, October
21, 1805. This was one of the Wascopum's
chief foods. Gabriel Franchcre journals of
1810-14 state the nuts pf acrons and hazel
nuts were eaten by the natives to prevent
scurvy and proved to be very effective. This
is also a principal food for California Indi
ans. The nuts of acorns were found in the backwards of the Wascopum
peoples at The Dalles. Reverend Henry Perkins referred to the oak trees in
this area as orchards. On the Warm Springs Reservation on the W150 log
ging road the hazel nut is found at elevations from 3,500 to 3,700 feet, The
nuts are harvested in early fall. An abundance of the wild hazel nut is
found in J:he Willamette Valley., This, nut was, used as a trade item by the
mid-ChjnookarL peoples...', " 0' " " . ,. ,
Indian carrot (perideridia) Indian name (sawitk) is a root that grows in
most meadows near the ponderosa pine timberline. It is very good when
eaten raw and it can be stored in containers of dry dirt for about two to
three months. Drying is in the same manner as luksh. It has the highest
calcium content of Indian roots, and it also has iron, magnesium, zinc,
thiamin and riboflavin. This root grows in most western states. Caution -it
can produce intestinal gas, so don't drink soda pop when eating this root
raw, as it will result in body convulsions.
The Indian names for the roots were submitted by Dallas Winishut Jr of
the tribal Culture and Heritage Department. The botanical technical name
was provided by Miss Ivy Hilty who had the root foods and other Indian
foods analyzed for nutritive value. Ivy Hilty will long be remembered for
work as an extension agent for OSU at Warm Springs.
.? Y
Children's learning on display
How many helpers does it take
to organize a Family Indian Lan
guage Assembly for Warm Springs
Elementary, in the gym, on May 4,
2001 from 9 to 11 a.m.? Lots is the
answer!
First the Kiksht-Ichishkiin-Numu
Teachers decided to have the
kids, tell their families the words and
sayings in Indian that they learned
at school. Next the Language Coor
dinator Jeanne Thomas and Myra
Shawaway, the Culture Heritage
Director, started calling people to
help with organizing an assembly.
Dawn Smith, the WSE Principal,
said to call 509-J School District to
arrange to use the gym. Jim Quaid
and Sheilah Wahnetah, from Preven
tion Services provided supplies and
incentives for this family-student-school
gathering. Ham Greeley
called Olivia Wallulatum at Govt.
Affairs and they got the videos to
tape the students. The help got the
Language Assembly started.
The Language Teachers Arlita
Rhoan, Suzie Slockish, Dallas
Winishut, Anna Clements, Pat
Miller, Shirley Tufti, Deanie
Johnson, Val Switzler, Madeline
Mclnturff and Gladys Thompson
listed what the kids know in Paiute,
Wasco and Sahaptin. They wanted
families to see and share what their
students understand and what the
students can do by listening to learn
tribal languages.
At the assembly the students an
swered attendance calls, named ani
mals, played counting games,
pointed to body parts, recited t tribal
alphabet, sang pretty, danced to-'
gether and lively. The kids, families
and language workers smiled as they
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Photo by Daniel Lawrence
Students at Warm Springs Elementary gathered May 4.
Fourth-graders
attend orientation
Eighty four fourth graders were
invited to the Jefferson County
Middle School Wednesday, May 9,
2001 to an orientation of becoming
part of the JCMS fifth grade class
next school year. Three groups were
assembled and sent to a different
class room to hear from various
teachers, the principal and other staff
members of JCMS.
Many parents had questions re
garding the purchase of P.E. clothes,
band, choir and other activities'
among school classes, attendance
and the changes that will go along
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4 ' ' V .
i .- - i...,
with attending JCMS. '
One major change was only the
fourth graders from the Warm
Springs Elementary will be attend
ing JCMS. If any parent or guardian
has concerns andor questions,
don't hesitate to call Foster Kalama
or Butch David at 475-7253.
enjoyed the speaking in all three
Warm Springs Tribal languages.
Tribal Council Member Bernice
Mitchell was happy to see her grand
children with their classes. KWSO
had Dana Smith "kickin' the re
corder" and aired the soundtrack by
noon that day.
People visited about their ances
tors that talked many languages. In
history, the Warm Springs Confed
eration is famous for understanding
other Tribes as they traded for goods
and helped each other survive. In
1887, the U. S. Boarding Schools
didn't want Indians to talk their lan
guage. Now, 114 years later, this all
changed and the school's teachers
and the tribe's language teachers help
our students to talk Indian language.
The Warm Springs Language Pro
gram appreciates everyone that
helped and attended. Thank you to:
Lois Squiemphen Smith, Lucinda
Heath, Mary Emhoolah, Liz Smith,
Mr. Brown, Ms. Adams, Mrs.
Fuentes, Mrs. Graham, Mrs. Rodin,
Mrs. Pave, Judy, Mrs. Graybael, Mrs.
Miller, Mrs. LaPage, Mrs. David, 'Ms.
Linquist, Ms. Bennett, Ms. Varela,
Mrs. White, Mrs. Ohman, Ms.
Calica, Gorky & Laurie Mitchell,
Larson Kalama, James & Paula
Halliday, Frances Allen, Neda
Wesley, Freda Wallulatum, Pamela
Yaw, Debbie Stacona, Gayleen
Adams, Alicia Adams, Earlene Tufti,
Bernadette Hoyer, Jocelyn Moses,
Luann Tufti, Rebecca Main, Millie
Frazier, Sharice Johnson, Maxine
Switzler, Julie Quaid, Annette Polk,
Lori Switzler, Ada Billy, Jamie
Bailey, Phillip Johns, Dixon Polk,
Sr., Tony Suppah, Mark Johnson,
Keith Moody, Nadine Maraz, Lucy
Suppah, Robert Medina, Hobo Patt,
Creston Smith, Irene Towe, Priscilla
Yazzie, June Smith, Lillian Galinda,
Raydine Spino, Amelia Spino,
Sandra Green Sampson, Rhonda
Clements, Jacoba Smith, Marcia
Minthorn, Roger Minthorn, Marlen
LaClaire, Nikki Charley, Billie
Smith, Sharon Smith, Michael
Collins, Cecelia Collins. Mackie
Begay, and Carol IjiTcnce.
Women of Warm Springs: WOW
By Li Hi an January
The Women of Warm Springs
(WOW) started as a
multidisciplinary team who wanted
to reach out to the women in the
community with health information
in a relaxed setting. The results have
far exceeded our expectations in the
short time we have been meeting.
The team makeup is: Judy Char
ley, Community Health Education;
Bernadette Hoyer, OSU Extension
on the Reservation; Joy Harvey,
Women's Health Practitioner;
Montell Elliott, Medical Secretary;
Ann McKenzie, Assistant to
Women's Health and Nutrition; and
Lillian January, Nutrition Supervi
sor. One great thing about having
such a diverse team to plan it and
carry it through, is that if one or wo
people have other commitments the
rest of the team picks up the slack.
No one has ever been left wonder
ing "how do we pull it off this
month?"
The WOW "get-together" is held
on the second Thursday of each
month, at noon, in the Atrium of
the Health and Wellness Center. We
always serve a light lunch to start
things off. During the time the par
ticipants are eating, one of the team
members, or, occasionally, a guest
will present a health lesson. Follow
ing the lesson, one of the team mem
bers will present a craft lesson. We
have purchased or donated supplies
for the participants to use in mak
ing whatever we have decided is the
Craft of the Month. This all takes
place in one hour so the participants
are able to return to work on time.
Since we began the WOW ses
sions, in September 2000, our atten
dance has been pretty consistent at
over 30 women participating in our
group. Our high was 42, just before
(Christmas. Most of the women arc
employed in Warm Springs but we
have had some participants who are
homemakers. An occasional man
will attend with his significant other,
or some brave male who works in
the clinic and thinks what we doing
looks interesting will wander in, but
we have designed the group for
women.
Our lessons have included ses
sions on simple exercises you can do
at your desk, cooking a turkey safely,
cancer awareness, and, in May, our
topic is to be talking to your kids
about sex.
Our crafts have been varied, but
we try to tie them in with the sea
son. In December, we made graham
cracker houses and villages. In April,
we made baskets.
We are very pleased with the suc
cess of this group and plan to con
tinue it for as long as we continue
to have excellent participation.
We hope to see you at the next
meeting! (Next date June 14.)