Daily Life of California Indians
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Example.docxVasquez-Portillo 1
Vasquez-Portillo 1
Daily Life of California Indians
I remember witnessing my grandmother gathered her insurmountable patience to craft a basket that contains all the supplements of life. It is woven tightly, with air struggling to get through the holes that no longer exist from the god-like hands that she possesses. When the craft reached its completion, the application of it became the utmost fundamental part of our daily lives. Her body became an example, her hands adopted the movements of wind. Blowing the basket near the shore, where she then demonstrates to me the art of capturing water.
“ Water is special,” she said “it takes any shape and form, but most importantly it helps life.” “What do you mean nana?” I asked curiously as I reached out for the basket.
“Water is valuable, but must be tamed,” she then walks towards the communal farm,” without it being tamed, we cannot have this life grow.”
I clumsily walked after her while carrying the basket along with its heavy contents. It seemed as if the water itself bare the mind of its own and decided to lash out. I unfortunately tumbled to the ground, stopping me dead in my tracks. Water being its own entity managed to make its way to the farm, like the rattlesnakes they are, wiggling to their destination.
“Not all is lost” she tried reassuring me so that I do not feel bad for tripping,” water understands their purpose, and they fulfill it. Without water, we will not have life.”
“No life, nana?” I sounded puzzled.
“Yes, no life.” She gave me a slight grin.
After reassuring me, she brought me closer to the large standing trees. Instead of being blunt, it left me with more questions than answers.
“ Hutash1, would have never grown such a reliable food source, if it had not been for the water falling from the sky.”
“The water? From the sky?” I squinted my eyes at the dark clouds, where it gently started pouring water.
At the same time, food suddenly started falling down from the sky as well. It almost felt too good to be true but my nana took her basket and caught the food into it with little to no effort. “Us caretakers have a duty to ensure that any life provided by Hutash, shall never go to waste” she firmly stated,” we work with what we have and give back to the community equally. That is our role.”
“... My role? “ as she lends me back the basket.
“Yes , that is your role, the role to give and maintain. It all starts here, with this basket” she smiled, as the sun suddenly shunned a light behind her, “lets crush these acorns2 before your father arrives from hunting.”
“Okay!” I said delighted.
As we walked back to the village, I could not help but to think about my role. The role that makes me feel important and feel a part of something. A role that helps a community to thrive, and a role that helps life to continue to grow for generations..3 My role is to continue the cycle of life.
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Works Cited
Margolin, Malcolm. PAST AND PRESENT ACORN USE IN NATIVE CALIFORNIA.
sipnuuk.karuk.us/system/files/atoms/file/AFRIFoodSecurity_UCB_FrankLake_003_007.pdf#:~:t ext=For%20thousands%20of%20years%2C%20acorns%20were%20life%20for,every%20Califo rnia%20Indian%20person%20eventually%20felt%20its%20effects.
Rice, R. B. (n.d.). The Elusive Eden: A New History of California. VitalSource bookshelf
Online. https://insite.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9781478639886/pageid/53.
The Outpost. “Chumash Story: Seeds of Creation and the Rainbow Bridge.” WilderUtopia, 2 Feb. 2021, www.wilderutopia.com/traditions/myth/chumash-story-seeds-of-creation-and-the-rainbow-bridge
/.
1 According to The Outpost, Hutash is an Earth goddess that is worshipped by the Chumash.
2According to the study that is titled PAST AND PRESENT ACORN USE IN NATIVE CALIFORNIA, it is deemed that acorns is one of the many primary food sources for Native American tribes that lived in California, prior to European contact. 3
According to The Elusive Eden: A New History of California, Chapter 1, subtitle ART, the women in Chumash adopted the roles as caretakers, by making food and conducting the gathering, while the men are hunting.
