The Ozette Prairies of Olympic National Park - Natural Resources ...

such as salmon-berries and blackberries was utilized by a single family. A family might remain near such
a patch for several days. Mountain blueberries, preferred by Indians because they were sweeter than valley
berries, were picked during elk hunting expeditions. Men hunted while women picked berries.
[p. 27] Nettles, whose fiber was used for nets, grow in abundance in open spaces. The Indians dried the
nettles in the sun or, when there was no sun, put them under a mat to dry by the heat of the house. When
they were half dry the Indians struck them against the wall or logs to separate fibers.
[p. 29] Rational Actions. The danger of excessive exploitation of food resources seems to have been recognized
for only a few species. The restriction of hunting or gathering food in a particular territory to the
members of one’s own group or family was at least partly motivated by the realization that production by
outsiders would diminish the available supply. The Indians who dug roots in prairies burned over such
sites in order to give useful roots a chance to grow instead of weeds and ferns. They took precautions
not to burn the surrounding trees and bushes, and burned the prairies section by section. Their methods
of fire control were so effective that in the Olympic Peninsula, except for a small area of forest near Little
Prairie, none of the forest surrounding a prairie shows any sign of fire.
[p. 42] Land mammal hunting. Elk, principally mountain elk, were hunted with bow and arrow. Cow
elk were usually hunted in prairies and valleys with the help of dogs to chase them. Deer were also
hunted in that manner. But they and bears were also caught in traps. [p. 43] Super-natural means of
production….Elk hunters among the Quileute and Quinault were believed to require the help of particularly
strong spirits. In order to obtain a spirit power the young prospective elk hunter prayed, bathed in
a prescribed manner, and subjected himself to severe discipline and hardship….When he got the power,
he was able to lead a party to hunt elk. Indians often hunted elk in the lower valleys and prairies, often
without having elk power.
[p. 49] Food Preservation. Camas, fernroots were put in baskets and washed in running water. They
were preserved without other processing. Camas were treated immediately after digging. The Indians
baked camas and roots if they wanted to keep them for their own use. They did not process roots, which
they wanted to use for trade or exchange…When hunters killed many elk far from their temporary
camps, they smoked the meat on the spot. Smoked meat was easy to carry, and there was less of it. But
it took almost two days and two nights to smoke elk properly…. Preservation of elderberries required a
good deal of labor. When the Indians had collected a few baskets of elderberries, a circular hole was dug
in the ground or sand about one foot deep, and lined on the bottom and sides with rocks. On these rocks
a fire was built and into it more rocks were put. When the stones were hot, the wood was taken away and
the fire was permitted to die out. On top of the ash, wide strips of alder bark were laid and kept dirt-free
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