I am an undergraduate student embarking on a team project to further edit and expand Wikipedia articles on Californian indigenous groups. Our team's current project is focused on the subsistence practices of Californian native groups. Here are a few things about me:
- Undergraduate student of History at Cal Poly Pomona
- Minoring in Anthropology
Proposed Page Edits by Team
North American hunting technologies
1.Yurok River Fishing
For thousands of years, the Yurok people of the Klamath River have used sustainable methods to perpetuate future salmon runs. One method that ensured the tribe's subsistence needs was the construction of temporary communal fish dams. The construction of the fish dams were highly ritualized as they were built over a period of ten days using ten panels and only fished for ten days. Nets constructed from iris leaf fibers were used to ensnare migrating fish, while weirs of log frames directed fish into specific sections and openings.[1]
2.Archaic Indian Hunting Technologies
Fishing technology utilized by the Chumash and Gabrielino Indians were made of plant fibers and sometimes human hair. These lines were not able to support substantial weight, resulting in breakage. This factor limited early Indians to catching fish closer to the shore. Fish that inhabited the coast of Southern California 3,500 years BP included anchovies, bonito, mackerel, and sardines.[2]
3.Use of natural resources
Coastal foraging was an important part of life for the Paleoindians on California's Channel Islands. They were skilled at harvesting plant resources from the coastal environment, including kelp, seaweed, berries, and seeds. They also collected birds' eggs and hunted small game such as squirrels and rabbits. The Paleoindians were also skilled at fashioning tools and weapons from local materials such as flint, obsidian, and bone.[3] References
- ^ California's Salmon and Steelhead: The Struggle to Restore an Imperiled Resource (1 ed.). University of California Press. 1991. doi:10.2307/jj.8306281.9. ISBN 978-0-520-36582-7.
- ^ Salls, Roy (1989). "To catch a fish: some limitations on prehistoric fishing in southern California with special reference to native plant fiber fishing line" (PDF). Journal of Ethnobiology. 9 (2): 173–199 – via Society of Ethnobiology.
- ^ Hildebrandt, William R; Jones, Terry L (1992-12-01). "Evolution of marine mammal hunting: A view from the California and Oregon coasts". Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. 11 (4): 360–401. doi:10.1016/0278-4165(92)90013-2. ISSN 0278-4165.