Native American Food

Arctic Region: this region stretches from Alaska to Labrador and Greenland.
In the past, these territories were inhabited mainly by Aleutian, Yupik and Inuit populations.
Since it’s impossible to grow anything on the ice pack and on the permafrost of the High Tundra, the most important sources of food for the Natives in this area were:

• The hunting of sea mammals like seals, sea lions, whales and beluga whales.
• The hunting of caribou, especially during summer.
• The hunting of waterfowl and migratory birds (during summer).
• Fishing (*2).

The Arctic peoples ate most of their meat raw, including fat and internal organs: this way their diet provided all the vitamins and the salt necessary for human nutrition, as well as an abundance of proteins. So it’s no coincidence that the liver was considered a delicacy and bile was the fundamental ingredient for a traditional sauce.

Subarctic Region: the peoples of this region inhabited the land stretching between the inner part of the Alaskan peninsula (to the west) and the Atlantic Ocean (to the east). The most important sources of food in these zones were:

• The hunting of caribou in the northern areas and moose (Canadian elk) in the south. Bears, beavers, porcupines, deer and rabbits were also part of the local diet.
• Fishing, fundamental for those living near the Yukon river basin.

Shellfish was very important for the Natives living on the Atlantic coast.
Only a few vegetables were available, it was possible to eat roots, seeds, some types of herbs and berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, currants, etc.).

Northwest Coast: the Natives from this region lived in the narrow coastline between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the mountain ranges covered by thick northern rainforests to the east. Their most important sources of food were:

• The fishing of Pacific salmon, candlefish, halibut and cod.
• The hunting of sea mammals, especially humpback and gray whale.

The gathering of sea plants was important too: once collected, these were dried, crushed and pressed in blocks that could last for long periods.
Various types of berries, the camas root and the salal-berry were also part of the local diet.

The Plateau: this region stretches from the Canadian provinces of British Columbia to Alberta (in the north) and the US state of Washington to Montana (in the south).
The most important sources of food for the Natives of this region were:

• The hunting of large animals (for example moose), especially in the northern areas, characterized by a climate similar to the Arctic region.
• Fishing, especially of salmon, in the western areas.

The tribes in the southwest, an area extending from Oregon to Northern California, had a mixed diet, based on gathering (berries, fruits and vegetables) (*1), hunting (deer, rabbits, etc.), and fishing.

The Great Plains: this region of North America stretches between the Saskatchewan river in Canada and the Gulf of Mexico. The most important sources of food for the local Natives were:

• Hunting, especially of bison. Elk, deer, pronghorn, antelope, bear and some small animals were an alternative source of food when the great bison herds changed their migration route.
• The gathering of berries. Some of them were used to make the famous ‘pemmican’. Roots were also part of the diet.

The tribes living in areas adjacent to the southwestern prairies could get corn, beans and pumpkins through trade or warfare.

Praries and Great Lakes: the most important sources of food for the Natives living in these regions were:

• Hunting, especially of bison.
• Horticulture. The main crops were corn, beans and pumpkins, typically cultivated by women on the small plots of land surrounding the winter villages.
• Fishing, particularly important in the Region of the Great Lakes. This activity was usually performed during night time, since freshwater fish was attracted by the fire of the torches.

The tribes settled on the eastern borders of the Plains, initially depended on the hunting of the bison of the woods. After its extinction, they relied on the hunting of elk and deer, and the gathering of berries and roots.

Northeast and Southeast: the most important sources of food of the Natives living in these regions were:

• Horticulture. This provided about the 50% of the food needed in the Northeast. In the Southeast, the presence of great cities and a more complex society, allowed the development of a ‘structured’ agriculture, with the main crops being corn, beans and pumpkins.
• Hunting. It was the second source of food both in the Northeast and in the Southeast. The Natives hunted white-tailed deers, elks, bears and small animals like beavers, hares, rabbits, badgers. They also hunted birds like turkeys, swans, and various types of ducks.
  In the Northeast, great was the importance of seal hunting and whaling.
  In Florida and the marshy areas of the Southeast, alligator was one of the favorite preys.

• Fishing. Both freshwater and marine fish (Atlantic salmon, cod and herring) were of great importance for the coastal communities. These natives ate also freshwater clams and seafood.
• Gathering, especially of fruits from wild plants, like nuts and acorns.

The Great Basin: this region, especially in the desert areas, was characterized by a considerable shortage of food resources. The Natives of this region could survive thanks to:

• The gathering of pine nuts (piñon), seeds, roots and tubers.
• Hunting. In the north, the Natives hunted deers, antelopes and mountain goats. In the desert areas of the south, they hunted rabbits, various types of rodents, snakes and insects (especially grasshoppers).

California, Baja California and Northwest Mexico: the most important sources of food for the Natives living in these regions were:

• The gathering of pine nuts (piñon), acorns, yucca, mesquite ‘beans’, and agave. Cactus was particularly precious in the desert areas: this plant provided fruits (eaten fresh or dried) and seeds (usually dried or roasted). The juice obtained from its pulp was used as a drink.

• Hunting. In the south of California and in the north of Mexico, large fauna was quite rare. The Natives ate small rodents, rabbits, reptiles and even insects. In some specific locations of Central California (the Rocky Mountains area), they hunted deers, mountain goats and bears. On the coast, they hunted sea mammals.
• Fishing: Practiced on the coastal area, it did not have much weight. The diet was supplemented by some types of shellfish.

Southwest: the most important sources of food for the Natives living in this region were:

• strong>Agriculture: corn, cultivated in many varieties, was extremely important in this region (*1). It was often used to make a particular type of bread, the ‘piki’ (Hopi word).
• The gathering of mesquite beans, pine nuts and Saguaro cactus fruits.
• Fishing. Only the tribes living along the Rio Grande ate fish.

The arrival of Dené speaking peoples (Navajo and Apache) from the Canadian Yukon drainage, partially changed the food habits in the Southwest. These nomadic hunters and gatherers forced the Pueblo to trade with them (*2) agricultural products in exchange of game (especially bison).
During the Eighteenth Century, some Dené groups tried to convert themselves to agriculture, but hunting and plundering remained their main source of food until, as in the case of the Navajo, sheep raising was imposed ‘manu militari’ by the US Army.