Salt use among Native Americans
Salt has played an essential role in the diets and cultures of Native American communities, particularly for agricultural tribes that consumed less meat compared to their hunting-gathering counterparts. Historically, salt production and trade flourished in prehistoric eastern North America after around 800 CE, with significant sites such as Avery Island, Louisiana, where salt was mined and traded extensively. This trade not only provided vital dietary supplements to various tribes but also contributed to the prosperity of certain groups, including the Tunica people.
In the Ohio Valley, salt was produced through the evaporation of briny water in shallow ceramic vessels, while coastal tribes of the Southwest utilized similar methods, trading salt inland. However, the use of salt was often accompanied by cultural taboos; for instance, Pueblo men were required to abstain from salt before participating in religious ceremonies, and many tribes prohibited salt during rites of passage. This complex relationship with salt reflects its significance not only as a dietary necessity but also as a culturally sensitive element within various Native American traditions.
Subject Terms
Salt use among Native Americans
Tribes affected: All agricultural tribes
Significance: Salt, a necessary nutrient, was used as a condiment by agriculturalists; the salt trade was particularly significant in eastern North America
Human beings require salt in their diets, and hunting-gathering people usually consume adequate amounts of salt through the meat they eat. Agriculturalists, however, typically consume less meat and are forced to use salt as a condiment.
Salt was produced and traded extensively in prehistoric eastern North America after about 800 c.e. At Avery Island, Louisiana, for example, a salt dome was mined more or less constantly from around 800 to the mid-1600’s. The salt removed was placed in pottery jars and traded to agriculturalist tribes around the South and perhaps as far north as Illinois. Certain tribes, such as the Tunica, became prosperous through the salt trade.
Salt also was produced by evaporation of briny water. This was particularly important in the Ohio Valley after about 1000 c.e. There, salty water was placed in distinctive broad, shallow ceramic vessels. After the water had evaporated completely, the salt crystals left behind were scraped from the bottom of these “salt pans.” Salt for the tribes of the Southwest cultural area mostly was produced by evaporation on the coast and traded inland.
Wherever salt was used in native North America, there were taboos associated with it. Among the Pueblo Indians, for example, men had to abstain from consuming salt before participating in religious ceremonies in the kivas. Salt also typically was forbidden during rites of passage among many tribes.