Friday, August 9, 2013

What the Indians Ate

Thanks to the Ayers collection at the Newberry there is a plethora of books on Native Americans. They describe in great detail how the Indians dressed, communicated, worked, and especially what they ate. The majority of the North American Indians used hunting and agriculture as their main source of food. I think everyone knows the story of how the Indians taught the pilgrims to farm by planting corn in row and fertilizing by using dead fish. And of course being such nice people the pilgrims repaid the Indians by taking their land forcing them to relocate to reservations.
So what did the Indians really eat? Well if the Indians were part of a coastal tribe they mostly relied on the ocean as their source of food. Indians living on the East coast of the United States had a diet of clams, lobster, and cod while those on the West coast ate salmon and halibut. The best way to prepare fish for a meal was to smoke it over an open fire. Native Americans who roamed on the Great Plains relied on hunting as their main source of protein. Groups of men would venture out into the plains in hopes of killing buffalo, antelope, elk, and deer. Every part of the animal would be used, nothing would be allowed to go to waste. Wild turkey, geese, and duck would also be hunted for poultry and rabbit and squirrel made a nice addition to any stew. No matter where the Indians lived the majority of them ate corn as a staple in their diet. They also raised a number of vegetables that were a great discovery in the New World. Some of these plants include beans, wild rice, tomatoes, peppers, squash, and potatoes. It was often times the duty of the women and children to care for the garden while the men hunted. Gathered food, such as berries, nuts, roots, and greens helped the Indians survive during a harsh winter. All of these foods helped sustain the native population for years before North America became colonized by Europeans.

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