YAMPA ROOT USE BY NATIVES

AS I WAS DRIVING TO SONOMA I SAW MANY YAMPA ROOT PLANTS.  THIS PERIODITE GAIRDNERI IS A PRACTICAL PLANT.  YAMPA GROWS IN VARIOUS ECOSYTEMS.  IN THE POMO, WAPPO, AND VARIOUS BAY AREASTHEY ARE ROOT CROPS IN THE SPRING, SHOWINGWHITE UMBELS SIMILAR TO OTHER PLANTS LIKE QUEEN ANNRS LACE.  YAMPA WAS EATEN BY NATIVES THROUGHOUT THE NORTHWEST.  THE CHETENNE TO PAUITE AND WAPPO ALL USED THE SMALL NUT SIZED ROOT AS STAPLES AS THEY ATE THEM FRESH, BAKED, BOILED,  AND DRIED FOR FUTURE USE.  IT HAS GOOD POWERFUL ENERGY TO SUSTAIN LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS.  THE POMO ATE THE LEAVESTHEY ARE EASILY DUG IN THE SPRING.  IN SOME AREAS THEY HAVE GRASS LIKE LEAVES.  THE TUBERS ARE ABOUT 1" LONG AND GROW ABOUT 3" DEEP.  THEY TASTE LIKE PARSNIPS OR WATER CHESTNUTS. 

WHEN BAKED OR STEAMED THEY HAVE THEIR BEST FLAVOR UNCOOKED ROOTS WERE USED AS LAXATIVES IF IVEREATEN,  VARIOUS LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES ENCOURAGE NATIVES TO TEND AND USE YAMPA FOR THEIR USE.  ANTHROPOLOGISTS FROM THESE AGENCIES RE NOW ASKING QUESTIONS SUCH AS THE FOLLOWING:
1) WHO ARE THE NATIVES WHO WANT TO GATHER HERE? 2) WHAT PLANTS ARE CURRENTLY USED?  3) WHAT PLANT PARTS ARE GATHERED?  4) WHAT TOOLS ARE NEEDED TO COLLECT OR GATHER THESE PLANTS?  5) WHERE ARE THE PLANTS LOCATED?  6)  WHAT ARE THEIR CURRENT HARVESTING TECHNIQUES FOR THE PLANTS? 7) WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF HARVESTING ON PLANT NUMBERS? 8) DO THEY HAVE ANY COLLECTION SITES? 9) ARE THERE PUBLIC AREAS TO INCLUDE IN RECOVERING OR INTRODUCING NATIVE PLANTS?

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TENDING THE WILD BY KAT ANDERSON