Indian Fires

While we were wandering around Feast of the Hunters' Moon this year, we came across this Indian encampment.   I didn't have a chance to talk to the owners or to ask questions, but we were able to get some good pics.

  

I wish I had made a point of asking what kind of dwelling this is and which tribes made them.   It was covered with overlapped layers of woven mats of dried reeds or cattails or something like that.


Here's a look at what's cooking over the fire.   The fish is attached in a very interesting way.   I think the other meat is squirrel.  

Here's a better look at the meat over the fire. 

Pawpaws in a basket.   I thought the bark carrier was really interesting. 















Next to the big fire was this smaller fire surrounded by bark.  Clearly designed for smoking and sure enough when we got closer, we saw that it was in use for just that purpose.  

Some sort of meat was laid out above the smoking fire and drying for jerky. 

These squash rings were also being smoked and dried over the big fire.   Dried food didn't spoil and was easier to transport.

Feast of the Hunter's Moon - Indians

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we went to Feast of the Hunter's Moon in September this year.  This pic [top] is a fur trader's set up.    I love the teepee. 

One thing I love about Feast is that I always learn a lot when I go there.

A lot, I tell you. 

As in, it always reminds me how much I don't know.  

I don't know a lot.

But now I know a bit more. 

This year I spent a bit of time focused on some of the Indian activities and tents.

At this fabulous tent, they had a great display of Indian food set up.   

She explained all about the types of corn and beans and squash that the Indians grew.

Every tribe had its own variety.

Bear beans are called bear beans because they are cooked with bear and big animal meats.

As opposed to rabbit beans, which are cooked with rabbit and squirrel and small game. 

I didn't know that. 

Indian corn had only 8 rows of kernels on an ear.  

They dried it and ground it up in a hollowed out tree stump. 

Here's what they had ground up already.

They used tools like these to cultivate their crops.

In addition, they gathered cattail pollen to eat.   I think she said they made bread with it.   [I need to fact check that....]

They harvested basswood fiber and milkweed stalks to make rope with. 

This man was chipping stone to make arrow heads.

And this guy made vessels with gourds.   They were beautiful.

This woman sat silently and shelled beans.  She threw the shells in the fire to keep it going. 

Silently.

Blow the pic up and look at details.   Notice the squash rings drying above the fire.    And notice her hands.   And the stuff in the bowls.