Collection: Directories and Documents > Tanis Thorne Native Californian & Nisenan Collection

About This Item:

Title: The Valley Nisenan Collection Type: Directories and Documents Collection Name: Tanis Thorne Native Californian & Nisenan Collection Author: A.L. Kroeber Source(s): UC Publications in American Archaeology & Ethnology, Volume 24 # of Pages: 20 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-08-31 18:34:13 OCR Software Version #: tesseract 5.4.1 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 05:54:05 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 05:54:05

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 20  

; ; . Kroeber: The Valley Nisenan 263 262 University of California Publications in Am. Arch. and Ethn. [Vol : 7 thigh and tension secured from a spindle with a stone whorl, tew’ or tilili. This was a perforated stone. The string was. wound e spindle, the point of which rested on the ground. The informant was positive that this was a pre-Caucasian device. It appears to be the first whorled spindle reported from California. 4 Fish and bird nets are described in the voeabulary. The measuring by fathoms and meshes is of interest. ‘The goose nets, mo'l'a’, were set in spring, in a series one behind the other, and tied to one long rope, with a pole of elderberry—chosen for its lightness—for each net ‘where the rope crossed it. These were either propped vertically or more likely laid flat where the geese came to feed on-grass. A pull on the rope by concealed men drew the series of nets (up and) forward. bi ‘and down over the ggese. The duck nets were stretched across water Various foods are mentioned in the vocabulary under animals and usk and the birds caught in them as they flew at night; they were plants. be: j ld by poles at the ends. Men often stayed up to take the birds out. : res were used for geese, cranes, swans, and smaller birds. They “consisted of a loop on a stick that was sprung. Spring salmon were good. They ran up the American river 1 about Folsom—the limit of the informant’s exacter knowled a beyond, the river was shallow. Winter salmon had white meat, were often without tails, and inedible; presumably these are the returns after spawning. Salmon was kept in two ways: dried raw; or cookedy dried, and crushed to powder. The former, or sliced meat, was hur on poles to dry. Salmon and other fish were taken by means of weirs across river, built communally. The fish passed through gates into enelt ! ures from which they were scooped with nets. Deer, including perhaps antelope, were hunted with the decoy, head and skin. z Salt.—This was dug from the ground or cooked from a plant with cabbage-like leaves gathered in summer. The leaves were piled ona fire in a pot, in which the ‘‘salt’’ collected in a cake so hard it had to be broken with a stone. Baskets.—Shapes and materials are listed in the vocabulary. The material used for red designs, apparently redbud, had to be got in the hills; the wire-like marsh roots used for black, probably Carex, were split in half. Feather-covered baskets of Pomo type were made; the, informant even mentioned one that seems not to have been described’ previously, the mu’mu. This was about the size and shape of an egel open at each end, worn on a necklace at dances or gatherings. It was entirely covered with red woodpecker feathers. The informant had seen one made by his mother. j Tobacco.—This was planted each spring from seed kept over.}8 ‘was planted in shallow holes, about the village or ‘‘anywhere,’’ as it grew easily. It was picked, dried, tied up into tight bundles so as : 'o retain its strength, crushed, and kept in a small‘sack. Nothing else was planted. . Chiefly old men smoked. The pipe was of wood and held with bowl end elevated—i.e., it was tubular; but it bulged at mouth and “especially at bowl. Some men put a)coal into the bottom of the bowl “to keep the ashes from falling through the bore. be. Money.—The essential facts are in the vocabulary. Shell beads were rubbed round on a slab. : : Musical instruments—See vocabulary. The flute was smoothed inside by having scouring rush drawn or pushed through. Carrying baskets and seed-baskets were made by the men in the k’um. These were of coarse openwork willow ware. Close-woven baskets were made by women in the houses or outdoors. Women! carried firewood in openwork carrying baskets, men in a back packl lashed with grapevine. It is not clear whether men brought wood. only for the sweat and dance house or also for the dwelling. Be The bullroarer, li’wan'ii, was mentioned as a toy, as among the Maidu, or as a wind maker, not as a device used in secret society ituals. It was sometimes painted black, and hung on a high pole, until the wind caught it and made it hum. This was done in summer to bring a breeze. ' Games.—The principal facts are listed in the vocabulary. The n-tan type of guessing game, o’ca, has been previously reported from this part of California. Part of a heap of sticks was set aside. String or nets—Both string and rope were made.of p‘u”’, a tulel like plant growing among the tules. This was. the only cordagell material, milkweed (Asclepias) being ‘‘no good,’’ according to the informant. The p‘u’ was gathered in fall when its leaves began to drop. It was soaked, beaten, and long fibers drawn out of the skin. : of its stems (?). These were kept damp. The spinning was done on 18 Of, Faye, this series, 20:40, 1928.