Tah Gum: The Washoe Pine-Nut Harvest

For thousands of years, tah gum (pine nuts) have been a staple in the winter diet of the Washoe Indians. Eight generations since Euro-Americans moved into their territory, the Washoe still gather in small groups every autumn to harvest pine nuts. The nuts are roasted in their shells by tossing them repeatedly with glowing coals in a basket. Following shelling, they are roasted a second time and then eaten or stored for preparation later as pine-nut soup. Once necessary for survival, today tah gum provide a direct connection with the Washoe past, nourishing both the body and the spirit of the people.
    Filmed in pinyon-juniper forests east of the Sierra Nevada, Tah Gum accompanies a group of Washoe women as they gather pine nuts, roast them, and talk about the old days. Historic photos and film footage from the 1940s illustrate the evolution of pine-nut gathering and processing in the twentieth century and some of the social atmosphere surrounding the activities. The film ends with a feast of Washoe traditional foods, including pine-nut soup.

Tah Gum. Reno: UNOHP, 1999. Runtime of 23 minutes, available in VHS format.