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In This Section... Introduction Prehistoric Life Local Native Americans The Chumash The Gabrielino Story Telling Ceremonies Prehistoric Seafaring Trade Pimugans / Gabrielinos Pimu, now known as Santa Catalina, is an island with native plant and animal life that sustained a population of up to 2,500 Pimugans with-out reliance on cultivated plants or domesticated animals. This means they were able to survive relying on natural wild life as a food source, and belies a natural environment that was diverse and replenishable. Their natural habitat apparently had more diversity than the other islands in the Channel archipelago, and was more similar to the plant and animal life found on the mainland. They developed expert stone carving and basket making skills inorder to gather, store, prepare and serve their food supplies in different seasons of the year. Plants used by the island Pimugans were : Jicama - a juicy root Chia seeds - from sage Islay - hollyleaf cherry Indian milkweed - for chewing gum Soaproot Yellow jacket larvae - a delicacy Caterpillars Tule roots Pine nuts Black Sage - leaves dried and used as an herb Chamise - Native Californians used branches of this for arrow shafts Elderberry - ripe berries were eaten or made into a beverage Galium - also known as bed straw - used for sleeping mats, and when collected in early spring was eaten like spinach Lemonade Berry - berries made into a beverage similar to lemonade Manzanita - berries were used to make cider or ground into flour Miner’s Lettuce - a succulent wild green that provides salad greens and a good source of vitamin C Oak - an important part of the diet of native North Americans and was the basic flour for cakes and soups Prickly Pear Cactus - green paddle-like branches and fruit are edible Stinging Nettles - young leaves were cooked and plant fibers were made into string Toyon - berries were dried and eaten like raisins White Sage - leaves were dried and used as an herb and to make tea Yarrow - medicinal uses Animals harvested by the Pimugans include : Whale Seals Sea Lions Sea Otters Sea Turtles Island Fox Dolphins Snakes Lizards Woodpeckers Squid Sea Urchins Abalone Mussels Crabs Sardines Anchovy Bonito Grunion Bass

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