English

plum

Scientific Name

Prunus american; possibly other Prunus spp

Arapaho

Translation of the Arapaho

‘big berries’

Plums and the Arapaho

Food: fruit, sauce. Plums are eaten. They are handled similarly to chokecherries: crushed, formed into patties, and dried. A gravy can be made from them (beesibe’eek).

Other: decorative item, toys and games. Alfred Kroeber reports that the pits were used ornamentally, attached to a bag in order to represent burrs stuck in the hair of a buffalo (the burrs are related to an important myth.) The pits were also used as dice.