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Domestic Skills, Traditional LifewaysTribes
Western Shoshone, WashoeVideo Presenter
Melanie SmokeyPine Nut Harvest: Separating the Cones
Edible pine nuts occur throughout the Rocky Mountain West from Mexico to Canada and westward throughout the arid regions of the Great Basin to California.
Of the five pinyon pines, one species: single leaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophyla), common in Arizona, Nevada and Utah is the preferred tree for harvesting pine nuts.
Amongst the Western Shoshone, Washoe, and Paviatzo Paiute, this food was central to their culture, so much so that they referred to themselves as “pine nut eaters”.