SONOMA COUNTY'S ACORN CROP

I WENT HIKING AT BISHOP'S RANCH AND NOTICED THAT THERE WERE FEW ACORNS OF ANY TYPE THIS FALL. I ASKED THE MANAGER ABOUT THAT AND HE AGREED THAT HE HAD NOT SEEN MANY THIS YEAR AS WELL. I ALSO WAS AT THE JUNIOR COLLEGE AND NOTICED THAT THEY HAD SOME ACORNS ON THE GROUND AND A LADY FROM THE LAGUNA LAND TRUST WAS PICKING THEM UP. SHE SAID IT WAS INDEED A POOR YEAR FOR ACORNS IN THIS AREA.

I STARTED THINKING ABOUT HOW THE PREHISTORIC INDIANS USED TO TRADE BETWEEN SO MANY MILES WHEN RESOURCES WERE SCARCE IN ONE AREA. SO THE FOLKS IN MENDOCINO COUNTY - THE WAILAKI AND THE YUKI, AND PERHAPS THE SOUTHEAST POMO COULD HAVE TRADED WITH THE EASTERN POMO AND THE LYTTON TRIBE POMO FOR ACORNS IN EXCHANGE FOR WASHINGTON SHELL BEAD MONEY, OR PERHAPS FOR DEER MEAT OR TANNED HIDE.. WHO KNOWS. OR PERHAPS THEY WOULD HAVE HAD A STORED CONTAINER OF LAST YEAR'S ACORNS TO USE THAT WERE NOT SHELLED??

HOWEVER, I KNOW THAT IN PREHISTORIC TIMES THE INDIANS CONSIDERED THE ACORN MUSH SPIRITUAL AND I KNOW THEY WOULD HAVE SENT LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS TO FIND THIS RESOURCE AND BRING WITH THEM SOME ITEMS FOR EXCHANGE IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY STORED. THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER'S USED CHIA SEEDS TO CHEW ON THAT KEPT THEM FULL DURING THEIR RUN.