378 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1940 



kettle or a galvanized iron tub, about 25 pounds at a time, and parched 

 slowly over a wood fire, being constantly stirred with a paddle to 

 prevent burning ( pi. 9, fig. 1 ) . Parching requires from 15 to 25 minutes, 

 depending upon which of the above containers is used. The grain 

 parched in the iron kettle requires more time for this process and 

 usually is a better quality than that parched in a tub, probably owing 

 to the fact that a uniform heat is more easily maintained in the former 

 than in the latter. 



The grain is now ready for the most primitive kind of a mill. This 

 equipment, which may be termed a mortar, is a hole in the ground 

 about 11/2 feet wide and 2 feet deep and lined with a skin. When 

 ready to operate, about 20 pounds of the parched grain is poured into 

 this receptacle. A buck Indian (pi. 9, fig. 2) , taking the part of a pestle, 

 steps upon this loose pile of grain and with a half jump on one foot 

 and then on the other, combined with a kind of shuffle, treads out the 

 kernels. While supplying this power the Indian supports himself 

 by poles driven into the ground near the hole. This process, usually 

 called "jigging," detaches the hulls and completes the milling. 



The mixture of kernels and hulls taken from the skin-lined hole is 

 now put into a birchbark tray, about 30 inches long, 20 inches wide, 

 and 6 inches deep, to be separated by means of the wind. A windy 

 day is usually used for this purpose, yet in the hands of a skillful 

 squaw the tray without the aid of wind becomes a very efficient 

 fanning mill. The operator, while standing, holds the partially filled 

 tray even with her waist and slightly inclined. At regular intervals 

 she tosses the contents of the tray. After each toss, the kernels tend 

 to fall toward the lower side of the tray and the hulls toward the 

 upper side. After this partial separation the mixture is tossed higher 

 into the air, and at the same time with a quick movement of the wrists 

 the tray is turned forward, producing enough wind to throw much 

 of the chaif several feet away. This operation is repeated until the 

 chaff is completely removed. If the grain was fully matured when 

 gathered and the hulls loosened and detached by parching and "jigg- 

 ing," this primitive method of cleaning leaves only the heavy kernels, 

 which, after washing in several changes of water, are ready for 

 cooking (pi. 6, C). 



Some new methods of preparing the grain, brought about through 

 intercourse with the white man, are gradually being used by the 

 Indians. The primitive method of parching and hulling, however, 

 although it does take time and labor, produces a product superior in 

 quality to that so far obtained by the white man. The use of modern 

 machinery for cleaning in place of the birchbark tray could be used 

 to advantage and is now being considered by dealers who are seeking 

 larger markets for this cereal. 



