Pioneers found large lowland areas, regularly burned by Native Peoples, “plow ready” for horse-drawn implements and European agricultural practices and seeds. Almost unnoticed, these meadows hosted the blue flowers of the Camas from April to June, followed by harvesting by Native women using designed digging sticks (that were also used to replant Camas’ bulbs). Bulbs harvested were baked in earthen pit ovens for 2 days
to change the Camas inulin plant fiber to fructose. It served as a sweetener for other foods and when baked to be left dry, served as food for the winter and a trade item with other tribes. “The Indian Wars” article below illustrates why we showcase Cascadia’s 2 native species of edible Camas at the History Farm. The latter term, “history farm,” is a redundancy as there would not be much human history without farms … farms, food, faith, friends, family = our future.
Further reading:
http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=camassia
https://www.plc215.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/The-Indian-Wars.pdf
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.202213
https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/camas/#.Ynq10ujMIuV
History Farm Prose & Primary Level Question
Best answer:
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