Native American Foods: Technology and Food Sources: Animals, Fish, and Insects

Native Americans obtained their animal proteins, fats, and oils from large and small game, fish, and insects. Protein built the muscle so essential to physically active people. Consumption of large quantities of fat, considered desirable and delicious by indigenous people, reflected the need for calories, essential oils, and appealing flavor. The dietary balance of vegetative and animal foods differed by region and availability. The tribes of the plains and many coastal areas, who had seemingly inexhaustible supplies of game and fish, remained hunters and gatherers, undertook only minor agriculture, if any, and traded surpluses for the grain they needed. Most regions supported combinations of agriculture and hunting and fishing. Staples—corn, acorns, and wild rice—were supplemented seasonally by smaller quantities of meat, fish, and insects.