The Achumawi Indians By Raine Calhoun November 17, th grade Ms. Johnson

Location TTTThe Achumawi Indian’s land ranged from Mount Shasta to Lassen Peak. They were a tribe who lived in the mountains. Their villages were built by lakes, streams, or rivers, and they were divided into triblets. The Shasta and Coast Miwok were some neighboring tribes that the Achumawi may have traded with.

Food TTTThe Achumawi diet included: acorns, shellfish, pine nuts, roots, salmon, and trout. Epos, tiger lily bulbs, and wild onions were also eaten. Seeds, plant foods, and berries were gathered by women. Strange foods like wasps nests, angle worms, ant eggs, and insects were considered to be a delicacy. Small game and their eggs, antelope, bear, elk, and mountain sheep, were shot with arrows. Deer were hunted year round, and rabbits, chipmunk, gophers, turtles, rats, beaver, mountain lions, and wildcats were speared or shot with arrows.

Housing TTTThe Achumawi lived in round, bark houses with domed roofs. They were made of slabs of redwood or cedar piled against a center post. Winter dwellings were used as storage houses in the summer. The floor was dug into the ground a few feet, which kept it cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter. They usually covered their houses with dirt, grass, or tule mats.

Clothing TTTThe Achumawi wore clothing such as: caps, capes, robes, skirts, shirts, belts, leggings, moccasins, mittens, and cloaks. They used animal skins such as deerskin, badger skin, antelope skin, coot, and coyote skin to make their clothing. They prepared the skins by scraping off the meat, and soaking it in a tanning solution made of deer brains and ashes. Milkweeds were sometimes used as material to make skirts. Achumawi also got their faces tattooed. They tattooed mostly on the checks, and did not cover the chin solidly.

Religion TTTThe Achumawi believed in the Eagle and Coyote god. Eagle was thought to be very powerful, and Coyote was thought to be a kind leader. They had ceremonies to thank the gods before food gathering and hunting trips, and after each food harvest. They also had ceremonial dances. Eagle feathers were their most prized possession, and were only used in ceremonial dances. Spiritual powers were thought to belong to birds and other animals. Each member believed they had an individual animal guardian. Also shamen were believed to be able to talk to spirit-gods.