﻿Vol.2] 
  TRIBES 
  OF 
  SIERRA 
  NEVADA 
  — 
  PARK 
  875 
  

  

  usually 
  serving 
  the 
  entire 
  family. 
  The 
  wife 
  and 
  other 
  female 
  mem- 
  

   bers 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  usually 
  sit 
  on 
  the 
  floor, 
  just 
  inside 
  the 
  door, 
  and 
  

   converse 
  with 
  those 
  eating. 
  When 
  the 
  males 
  have 
  finished 
  their 
  

   meal, 
  the 
  cooking 
  pot 
  is 
  taken 
  inside 
  the 
  house, 
  where 
  the 
  women 
  and 
  

   girls 
  finish 
  the 
  contents. 
  

  

  Food 
  preservation 
  and 
  storage. 
  — 
  Few 
  techniques 
  for 
  the 
  preserva- 
  

   tion 
  and 
  storage 
  of 
  food 
  are 
  known. 
  The 
  location 
  of 
  cultivated 
  

   plots 
  at 
  different 
  altitudes 
  and 
  the 
  variety 
  of 
  crops 
  permit 
  harvesting 
  

   of 
  foods 
  the 
  year 
  around. 
  Cakes 
  of 
  panela 
  may 
  be 
  set 
  aside 
  in 
  antic- 
  

   ipation 
  of 
  a 
  trading 
  expedition, 
  a 
  small 
  amount 
  of 
  corn 
  may 
  be 
  

   parched 
  or 
  sun-dried 
  and 
  stored, 
  several 
  bags 
  of 
  potatoes 
  may 
  be 
  

   hung 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  house, 
  or 
  other 
  tubers 
  may 
  be 
  stored 
  for 
  a 
  brief 
  time, 
  

   but 
  as 
  a 
  rule 
  women 
  harvest 
  every 
  few 
  days 
  for 
  the 
  current 
  needs 
  of 
  

   the 
  family. 
  

  

  VILLAGES 
  AND 
  HOUSES 
  

  

  One 
  type 
  of 
  house 
  probably 
  prevailed 
  throughout 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Nevada 
  

   in 
  pre-Columbian 
  times 
  and 
  is 
  used 
  today 
  by 
  the 
  Cdgaba. 
  This 
  

   structure 
  is 
  circular 
  in 
  ground 
  plan 
  with 
  a 
  grass-thatched 
  conical 
  

   roof 
  (pis. 
  177, 
  178, 
  top). 
  In 
  recent 
  times, 
  especially 
  among 
  the 
  lea, 
  

   it 
  has 
  been 
  replaced 
  in 
  part 
  by 
  the 
  rectangular 
  house, 
  which 
  is 
  doubt- 
  

   less 
  of 
  European 
  origin. 
  Judging 
  from 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  the 
  temple 
  

   (cansamaria), 
  the 
  walls 
  of 
  all 
  houses 
  were 
  formerly 
  made 
  of 
  plaited, 
  

   flattened 
  reeds 
  or 
  cane, 
  or 
  at 
  great 
  altitudes, 
  as 
  at 
  Mocotama, 
  they 
  

   were 
  thatched 
  with 
  thick 
  bunches 
  of 
  grass. 
  In 
  recent 
  times, 
  walls 
  of 
  

   most 
  dwelling 
  houses 
  are 
  of 
  mud 
  packed 
  between 
  the 
  poles 
  which 
  

   form 
  the 
  framework 
  of 
  the 
  walls. 
  

  

  Dwelling 
  houses 
  vary 
  from 
  12 
  to 
  16 
  feet 
  {B% 
  to 
  4% 
  m.) 
  in 
  diameter; 
  

   temples 
  may 
  measure 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  40 
  feet 
  (12 
  m.). 
  Men 
  construct 
  

   the 
  frame 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  by 
  setting 
  poles 
  4 
  to 
  6 
  inches 
  (10 
  to 
  15 
  cm.) 
  in 
  

   diameter 
  in 
  the 
  ground 
  6 
  to 
  15 
  inches 
  (15 
  to 
  38 
  cm.) 
  apart. 
  Smaller 
  

   poles 
  are 
  lashed 
  horizontally 
  with 
  vines 
  to 
  these 
  upright 
  poles. 
  The 
  

   frame 
  of 
  the 
  conical 
  roof 
  is 
  constructed 
  separately 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  and, 
  

   when 
  completed, 
  hoisted 
  into 
  place. 
  Meanwhile, 
  the 
  women 
  have 
  

   collected 
  and 
  prepared 
  thick 
  bunches 
  of 
  grass 
  with 
  which 
  to 
  thatch 
  

   the 
  roof. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  roof 
  is 
  covered, 
  the 
  spaces 
  between 
  the 
  wall 
  poles 
  are 
  

   packed 
  with 
  mud 
  or 
  covered 
  by 
  plaited, 
  flattened 
  cane. 
  To 
  make 
  

   mud 
  for 
  the 
  walls, 
  the 
  women 
  carry 
  dirt 
  from 
  the 
  outskirts 
  of 
  the 
  

   village 
  and 
  mix 
  it 
  with 
  water 
  secured 
  by 
  temporarily 
  diverting 
  a 
  

   small 
  stream 
  through 
  the 
  streets. 
  The 
  single 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  house 
  

   is 
  usually 
  covered 
  by 
  a 
  door 
  constructed 
  from 
  a 
  single 
  flat 
  slab 
  of 
  

   wood 
  and 
  hinged 
  on 
  projecting 
  nubs 
  which 
  are 
  carved 
  at 
  its 
  top 
  and 
  

   bottom 
  corners 
  and 
  inserted 
  into 
  holes 
  in 
  the 
  doorjamb. 
  

  

  