Acorns, Oaks, and the Native Peoples

From the upland we descended into broad groves on the river, consisting of the evergreen, and a new species of white oak.. Among these was no brushwood; and the grassy surface gave to it the appearance of parks in an old settled country We made an acorn meal at noon, and hurried on; the valley being gay with flowers, and some of the banks being absolutely golden with the California poppy... Here the grass was smooth and green, and the groves very open; the large old oaks throwing a broad shade among sunny spots.

• John C. Fremont, Along the American River, 1844 The "acorn meal” Fremont and his party ate for lunch was the staple diet of the indigenous peoples of California. Acorns contain fat, protein and carbohydrates similar to our modern wheat and corn. Each tribe had its own methods of gathering, storing, hauling, drying, leaching, grinding, and cooking the acorn. Acorns were not eaten raw, as the bitter tannins in the acorn were unpalatable. Acorns were ground into a meal, made into a paste and subjected to many washings before drying, baking or cooking for consumption. The process of storing, grinding, washing and leaching produced many beautiful utilitarian vessels and baskets which were part of the ritual of the acorn harvest. The Nisenan, Miwok, Patwin people surrounding Sacramento depended on the acorn harvest as a main source of food. The Oak also figured prominently in the spiritual life of the people. All parts of the acorn were used for food, implements, fuel and shelter. Parts of the Oak tree were used in rituals surrounding birth, puberty and death. The Oak was invoked as a life sustaining force of the native people of California, as this Maidu song references the cycle of life. The acorns come sown from heaven.

I plant the short acorns in the valley.

I plant the long acorns in the valley.

I sprout; I, the black acorn, sprout;

I sprout.

-Maidu song

The oval bowl of the fountain in the center of this park is a reference to the many vessels which were part of the harvesting rituals. Near the street a Blue Oak has been planted in memory of the Oak cultures of California and as a gesture towards California's stewardship of the land and its rich ecology. In time, as the Oak matures its canopy will cover this park, dropping its acorns and reminding us of the many oak ecologies and the people who lived in harmony with the land before Europeans. The information here can be referenced in:

The Oaks of California - Written By - Bruce M. Pamela C. Muick, Sharon G. Johnson and Marjorie Popper

Published by Cachuma Press and the California Oak Foundation, 1991 . This historical marker was erected by State of California. It is in Central Business District in Sacramento in Sacramento County California