Fire was used to cut hair, drive rabbits and squirrels out of their holes when hunting, and reduce grassland and vegetation that may otherwise cause greater fires. It had a multiplicative purpose to the Picayune Rancheria. Sources of nutrition were also derived from plants that peaked in the summer: acorns, nuts, seeds, roots, and berries these sources were gathered and reaped by certain members of the tribal communities.įire was more than just used for cooking. Blume also states that they would participate in communal drives several members of the tribes would drive rabbits into nets. According to Joana Blume, such decoys included the use of antlers and skin from previous kills to attract antelope. They would use decoys to capture or kill animals. Although deer and antelope were their primary source of protein, they also hunted for squirrel, rabbit, raccoons, and anything within the marshes and grasslands of their home. They adapted themselves to a natural world that produced consistent harvests through the manipulation of sophisticated techniques such as farming, hunting, fishing, and gathering. The first Picayunes were agents of their environment. However, according to the official website of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians, these tribes all have similar culture and customs but have had different dialects throughout history. Chukchansi is the language spoken regionally, in which anthropologists have classified an estimated 60 tribes together as Yokuts-meaning people. Many Chukchansi still live in these foothills about 30 miles north of Fresno the headquarters of the tribe, Picayune Rancheria, is located there today. In recent times, the territory of the Chukchansi population has ranged from the Sierra Nevada foothills in the East, to the Fresno and Chowchilla river valleys in Central California, down to the Tehachapi mountains in the South. Chukchansi Yokuts are indigenous to Central California where they have inhabited areas of the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills for more than 12,000 years.

The Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians is affiliated to Chukchansi Yokuts culture.

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