Coloring Plants Used by Desert Indians

Over a period of thousands of years, Native Americans experimented and learned how to use plants to provide virtually everything they needed to survive. Their environment became the local grocery store, drug store, hardware store, and department store to provide needed food, medicine, tools, and materials to make clothing, kitchen tools, hunting equipment, regalia, toys, and adornments. Desert Indians are particularly blessed with an environment that provided the greatest diversity of plants that could be processed for a variety of uses. This book has 40 key plants that desert Indians primarily living in the Sonora Desert of Southern California, Baja California (Mexico), and Arizona have used for centuries. Many of the same or similar species are found in the Mojave Desert of Southern California and parts of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, and also the Great Basin Desert of California, Nevada, and parts of Utah, Oregon, and Idaho. Use of the plants by the various bands is similar although the language and cultural differences among these people are very diverse. The commonality for all is the continuing importance of key plants to provide necessities of everyday life. The Color and Learn series will help you learn about these plants as you apply your creative art strokes to bring the plants to life.