Is Protecting Abalone Also Destroying A Native Tradition?

The Sporkful

SiriusXM Podcasts

Arts

4.6 • 3.8K Ratings

🗓️ 15 May 2023

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When the California government stepped in to try and prevent abalone from going extinct, it also criminalized the food traditions of indigenous people in the region. In this episode from our friends at the podcast Copper and Heat, we look into the history of this now luxury ingredient — a tale that involves San Francisco bohemians, Japanese fishermen, and a Pomo-Paiute woman who has risked jail time and fines in order to keep these food traditions alive.

Transcript

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0:00.0	We go out low tide.
0:10.0	It might be five in the morning, it might be eight.
0:14.0	They might be out of the water.
0:15.0	They're just stuck on the rock.
0:18.0	And then we just pop them off.
0:21.0	This is Hillary.
0:22.0	My name is Hillary Brenek and I am Pamela and Paiute from Northern California from Mendocino
0:27.0	specifically.
0:29.0	A few years ago, an article in High Country News came out about Hillary called an indigenous
0:33.4	way of life for these California tribes breaks state laws.
0:37.6	It says in Mendocino County, gorilla gathers risk fines and jail time to keep food culture
0:43.0	alive.
0:44.0	People have chased us.
0:46.7	People coming back and forth like shotguns.
0:48.7	No, I'm like, is this the end of my story?
0:51.3	Nobody's going to know.
0:52.8	What do you do?
0:53.8	You have a family member and it's like, you're my only hope.
0:59.4	This is what I want before I pass on.
1:03.2	And then also at the same time, you know, somebody calls the cops.
1:08.5	So you just have to hurry up.
1:10.8	And all you're trying to do is get food where your family's been getting food from
	...

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