What kind of food do the great basin tribes eat?

* Seeds: Great Basin tribes gathered and processed a wide variety of seeds from plants such as Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides), wildrye, saltbush (Atriplex spp.), and shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia). These seeds were ground into flour and used to make bread, mush, and soup.

* Nuts: Pine nuts (Pinus spp.) and juniper berries (Juniperus spp.) were also harvested and used as food sources.

* Fruits: Serviceberries (Amelanchier alnifolia), chokecherries (Prunus virginiana), currants (Ribes spp.), and wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca) were collected and eaten fresh, dried, or cooked into jams and jellies.

* Roots and Tubers: Camas bulbs (Camassia quamash) and bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) were important root crops that were dug up and roasted or boiled.

* Leaves and Stems: Certain plants, such as cattails (Typha latifolia) and arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia), were harvested for their leaves and stems, which could be eaten raw or cooked.

Meat and Fish:

Although plant foods were the primary dietary source for Great Basin tribes, they did supplement their diet with meat and fish when available.

* Big Game: Pronghorns (Antilocapra americana), deer, elk, and bighorn sheep were hunted, typically using bows and arrows or traps.

* Small Game: Rabbits, rodents, and birds were also hunted and consumed.

* Fish: Tribes living near lakes, rivers, or streams fished for trout, salmon, and other aquatic species. Fish were caught with nets, traps, or spears.

* Insects: Some Great Basin tribes also consumed insects, such as grasshoppers and crickets, as a protein source.

It is important to note that the availability of specific foods varied depending on the tribe's location and the season. Tribes adapted their diet to the resources that were locally available, making them highly skilled foragers and resourceful in their food procurement strategies.