Maidu

The Maidu relied on native plants and animals for subsistence. However, plants and animals were also used for religious and material purposes. Acorns were the primary source of nut meats. Because of tannin, the acorns had to be leached in order to make them edible. The acorn flour was used to make soup, mush, or bread, which was tasteless (Heizer, 374).

The Maidu drank wild mint tea and also manzanita cider. The cider was prepared by crushing the manzanita berries and mixing the crushed berries with water to form a dough. Next, the dough was placed in sieve and water was poured over it. The cider is similar in color

The ceremony was announced using knotted string. The knots represented days until the ceremony. Each day, one knot was cut off. The day commenced with a rising of the Maidu flag at dawn and prayers. A bear skin was hanged from another pole with white goose feathers, which represented peace, hanging from the chin of the bear (Potts, 30).

The Kuksu Cult was part of the Maidu's religious society. This cult was a secret, male society. There was a set of obscure rites in which those who have been initiated and instructed participated. The cult concealed their identity with heavy coats of paint or with face curtains, which were made of feathers or grass rather than wearing masks. The disguised dancers of the Kuksu Cult represented spirits or deities (Krober, 365).

The conditions for the Maidu today are not adequate. There is a high unemployment rate, inferior housing and sanitation, as well as a lack of education. However, because of the continued celebration of the Bear Ceremony in the Spring, the humiliation associated with being a Maidu has been transformed into pride among many.

During pregnancy, a woman took considerable care of herself. She did not eat meat or fish. During the last part of her pregnancy, she did not leave her house. During delivery, she was assisted by a midwife and remained in her house. The afterbirth was wrapped in skin, grass, or bark until the remnants of the umbilical cord dropped off the baby (Heizer, 380).

Among the Maidu, courtship was brief. A man visited the family of a woman he was interested in marrying and might spend the night. If the woman was not interested, she would sit up all night. The woman's decision was often influenced by her family. After marriage, the couple resided with the woman's family, but the permanent home would be in the man's village (Heizer, 380)

The Maidu believed that the earth was round and floated on water. It was also believed that the land was suspended over the water by five ropes, one representing each of the cardinal directions, the fifth represented the northwest. The Maidu thought that earthquakes were the ropes being shaken by the creator (Krober, 439).

The Maidu practiced patrilocal residency. Within the Maidu, there was no

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