Lydia Vasser and Rose Ramirez, both basket weavers, provided information and examples of both basket weaving and natural foods/herbs indigenous to California. Weaving baskets seems like a mundane task that you won't find me doing anytime soon, however it is quite a bit more interesting and difficult than I had thought prior to this event. Gathering the materials can take up to up to several days, depending on where the best Juncus can be found. After gathered the material then needs to cured which takes about one year. The basket weaver then takes the Juncus and assembles her basket one step at a time while mentally she is five or six steps ahead. The basket weaving process can take days even months to complete. Many families make a living selling their baskets to collectors will often pay several thousand dollars per a basket.
One of their favorite plants is the Chia plant (aka: Chia pet) a super food found in our local mountains. Eating the seeds of this plant help in prevent the onset of Diabetes and also aid in water retention. You can buy a one pound bag of Chia online for $7 or spend an entire day harvesting the seeds from local plants. Elder Berry often used in tea acts as a blood thinner and is used by local Indians to break a fever.
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