Another form of burning practiced by California Indians, and even further
north into Oregon, Washington, and even Canada, has to do with basketry
and not just agriculture. The Northwest Indians used a lot of Bear Grass
in their baskets (Xerophyllum tenax). Under ideal circumstances (without
intervention from the white regulating agencies) Bear Grass is burned to the
ground everyother year (as I recall) resulting in the new growth lacking the
usual chlorophyl to color it green so it is a wonderful pale color ranging from
white to beige, or a honey gold color. Otherwise we have to sun bleach it
for weeks or even months, which often results in harm coming to the materials
you worked so hard to locate in the first place. When my Uncle was living
on the Hupa Reservation and working as a Ranger it was common for the basket
weavers to burn the plants in order to get the perfect material, and then a
more police-type genera of Rangers came along who arrested and or beat and or
harrassed any Indians who wanted to live their ancient life style -- be it
the way they fished, farmed, gathered, prayed, etc., etc. Now their biggest
enemy is the heavy influx of Asian immigrants who upon discovering that this
lowly "weed" had value, are harvesting it for the potential sales to anyone
who will buy it -- usually for flower arranging purposes.
lyn dearborn
(basket weaver/ethnobotany specialist)
turtle clan