The Kumeyaay Way - Winter 2008 - (Page 15)

P r e s e r v i n g c u lt u r e & H e r i ta g e Through the ages this history helped nurture generations of Preparing the acorn Meal successful acorn gatherings and tasty shawii. Christman agreed Like the gathering of the acorn, the preparation of the shawii to share her personal family story. is also important to the Kumeyaay. The traditional tools “My story is the story of my family, who are from El Capi- used for preparing the acorns are large, smooth rocks and tan and came from the Los Conejos Village. Everyone’s family woven baskets, and today people also use winnowing trays has different traditions for the acorn and preparing shawii,” and cheesecloth. Once the acorns are gathered, they are laid said Christman. out and dried in the sun. After the acorns are fully dry, the She spent her childhood autumns gathering the acorns with long, arduous preparation of the shawii begins. First, the her mother and aunt in the Cuyamaca Mountains [Park], where acorn seeds are removed from the shell one by one using rocks the oak trees grew. “You pick them one at a time,” she said. “We or a mortar and pestle. Afterwards, the shells are smudged would go in late October after the winds blew the acorns to the with sage or tobacco and then burned to give thanks and pay ground and before the rains would arrive, because the water respect to the acorn by returning its shells to the earth. ruins the acorns. It was very beautiful under the The inside seeds of acorns oaks with their yellow leaves. We would go out are covered with a red skin, with gunny sacks and by the end of the day or the similar to a peanut’s, which is removed by rubbing the next day we would fill five or six sacks with nearly 100 pounds of acorns,” she said. seeds between the palms of Picking up acorns for hours is exhausting one’s hands and tossing them work, but Kumeyaay families would work hard up in the air—catching and together and give thanks for the bounty that releasing the seeds in a flat was reaped off the ground. “We would be very woven basket. “We would happy gathering the acorns and spending time toss them up and down, up together,” said Christman. “You have to be fully and down,” said Christman. “The red skins would be carinvolved in the process so that the acorn meal will be smooth and have a good taste. It is said ried away by the wind. When that if you do not gather and I was a little girl I would prepare the acorns with a ask, ‘Where does the good heart, your acorn meal wind take the inside red will be bitter.” skins?’ and my mother Christman explained that told me that the wind as her family gathered the carries them home.” acorns one by one, they would When the red skin remember and talk about the is wholly removed, the relatives who had passed white seeds are ground on to the spirit world. “My with the rocks or mortar mother and aunties would and pestle into a fine powpray and give thanks to der, which is then sifted, the Creator for the trees, and leaching begins in the acorns, and the animals a round wire container — Virginia Christman, Tribal Councilwoman in the mountains. They covered in cheesecloth. would light sage or tobacco,” The cloth works like a smelling smoke colander, which leaches the acorn’s natural bitter taste from the said Christman. “The sweetto give thanks for tannic acid. Once that process is finished the acorns are cooked would drift upwards to the Creator the acorn and to ask for good harvest the following year. Every- slowly in a ceramic pot with water. thing we did was done with respect to the acorn and Mother While today some families may take a more modern approach, Earth in prayer.” using a hand-powered grinder to speed up the process, it is very She explained that shawii is made from either of two types important not use any metal, cautions Christman. of acorns: the familiar round, nut-brown acorn and the lon“You never use metal pots or spoons when cooking the ger and thinner yellow acorn. “Usually you see the brown shawii; you use ceramic and wood,” she explained. When she shawii made from the round acorn, most often, at least today,” was a little girl, Christman, learned this lesson the hard way. said Christman. “I wanted to speed up the cooking process and so I stirred it “ The Creator gave us the acorn. It is one of our foods. We must remember to always eat the shawii and be respectful of the acorn. Winter 2008 ” 15

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Kumeyaay Way - Winter 2008

The Kumeyaay Way - Winter 2008 Contents Kumeyaay History Looking Back at the River of Tears Keeping the Borders Open for All Kumeyaay Tribal Security—Safety First Cultural Embrace Viejas Tribal Member Rescues Eagle Education for All Future in Their Hands Viejas Pow Wow Honors Native American Veterans Growing Traditions—Viejas Community Garden Remember When

The Kumeyaay Way - Winter 2008

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