MEAT PREPARATION OF NATIVE TRIBES

A CAHUILLA ELDER SAID HE PLAYED IN THE MOUNTAINS ALL DAY AND WITH OTHER BOYS WOULD HUNT GAME AND THEIR MOMS WOULD COOK IT. THE BOY COULD NOT EAT THE ANIMAL HE KILLED. SOMETIMES THE MEN CAUGHT A DEER AND THE FATTY MEAT WAS A PIECE FOR THE FATHER. SHE SAID BOYS SHOULD NOT EAT FAT.

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN MEAT WAS A PRECIOUS COMPONENT OF THE INDIAN DIET, AND A SPIRITUAL ONE AS WELL. RELIGIOUS CUSTOM ENVELOPED THE HUNT, THE BUTCHERING, AND THE PREPARATION OF THE MEAT. BEFORE AND AFTER A DRIVE. THE MOUNTAIN MAIDU MADE OFFERINGS OF BEADS AND FOOD TO THE MOUNTAIN SPIRITS AND TO THE DEER. ONLY THEN WAS THE ANIMAL BUTCHERED. THE DEER MEAT WAS DIVIDED EQUALLY AMONG THE HUNTERS. THEY HAD OBSTAINED FROM THEIR WIVES AND WERE CAREFUL NOT TO ALLOW DEER BONES BE THROWN AWAY OR BURNED. THE LIVER WAS EATEN DURING THE HUNT. NOW THEY COULD EAT THE MEAT. DURING THE HUNT THE DEER'S LEG BONES WERE PLACED ON A PLATFORM IN THE TREE BRANCHES WHERE THEY MADE OFFERINGS AND PRAYED TO THE DEER.

FOR THE HUPA IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA NONE OF THE ANIMAL WAS WASTED. THEY DRANK THE BLOOD FIRST. THE STOMACH WAS BURIED IN ASHES, COOKED AND EATEN. THE EARS WERE A DELICACY AFTER ROASTING! THE BONE OF THE LEGS WAS SAVED TO MIX PAINT. SINEW WAS SAVED FOR THE BOW. THE BRAIN WAS DRIED AND USED TO DRESS THE HIDE. MEAT NOT EATEN IMMEDIATELY WAS CUT UP INTO STRIPS AND DRIED OVER A FIRE. SOME MEAT WAS BOILED IN A POT. PEOPLE WASHED THEIR HANDS IN A WOODEN BOWL AND THAT WATER WAS THROWN OUT AWAY FROM THE HOUSE.

THE WESTERN MONO OF THE SIERRA NEVADA HAD ONLY SKILLED HUNTERS WHO HAD DREAM POWER FROM DEER DIVIDED THEIR KILL. THE DOCTORS AND SHAMANS GOT THE BIGGEST PIECES, THE CHIEF DID NOT CARE WHETHER HE GOT ANY MEAT. IN THE BEAR RIVER TRIBE IF TWO MEN SHOT THE SAME DEER, THEY GAVE PIECES TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN HUNT. WHEN THEY SNARED AN ELK THEY SLIT ITS THROAT AND SKINNED AND GUTTED IT. THE HEART AND LIVER AND STOMACH WERE TIED FOR TRANSPORT TO CAMP. THE HIND QUARTERS WERE SLUNG OVER THEIR SHOULDERS TO BRING TO CAMP. THE FRONT QUARTERS WERE HUNG IN A TREE IN THE SHADE WITH ROPE TO KEEP THE OTHER ANIMALS AWAY UNTIL THE HUNTERS COULD RETURN. AT CAMP THEY DIVIDED THE MEAT ONE'S SHARE WAS CUT UP OUTSIDE THE HOUSE. ANTLERS WERE USED FOR KNIVES AND FISHHOOKS. MEAT WAS SMOKED FOR TWO DAYS.


WOMEN COOKED MEAT AFTER IT HAD BEEN SMOKED AND DRIED BUT NOT THE RAW MEAT. ONLY MEN CUT UP AND COOKED FRESH MEAT. THEY USED COOKING POTS. THEY COVERED THE MEAT WITH YOUNG ALDER LEAVES AND COVERED IT WITH HOT ROCKS AND SAND. THEY MADE BASKET PLATES TO EAT THEIR FOOD.


FAWNS AND SQUIRRELS WERE AVOIDED. COTTONTAILS AND BIRDS WERE SKINNED AND CLEANED AND ROASTED OVER A FIRE. BLACK BEAR, DEER, AND ELK WERE SKINNED AND CLEANED. THE FLESH WAS CUT UP AND PIECED COOKED THE MEAT WAS OVER THE FIRE SO THE FAT WOULD DRIP DOWN. THE FAT WAS SAVED AND POURED OVER THE VEGETABLES IN WINTER.

THE SALINAN PEOPLE IN WESTERN CALIFORNIA BACKED THEIR MEAT OVERNIGHT IN THE EARTH OVEN AND IT WOULD KEEP FOR A DAY. IF THEY PRESERVED THE IN COOKING BASKETS. THEY ATE EVERY KIND OF ANIMAL EXCEPT SKUNK.

THE YOKUTS GENERALLY DID NOT EAT BEAR. MOST CALIFORNIA GROUPS BUTCHERED LARGE ANIMALS WITH STONE KNIVES AND SOME USED CANE KNIVES.

LUISENO PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CLEANSED THEMSELVES WITH SAGE BEFORE GOING ON A HUNT. IT WOULD GIVE THEM GOOD LUCK.

IN THE SANTA CATALINA REGION THEY OFTEN BOILED SMALL MAMMALS AND GROUND FLESH AND BONES. RABBITS WERE ROASTED, SOME BOILED FIRST AND THEN ROASTED. THE COCOPAH USUALLY COOKED IN CLAY POTS OVER THE FIRE.

PAUL JOHNSON