Our cache is hidden near a magnificent elderberry tree. The blue
elderberry tree, Sambucus nigra, provided Native Americans
with food, medicine, dye, and musical instruments. The berries were
eaten fresh, made into jam, and also dried for later use. Dried
elderberry flowers made a tea high in vitamin C, while the crushed
leaves were made into poultices to put on sprains. Elderberry was
also made into a highly prized black dye used for basketry.
Whistles were made from hollowed out stems. A four-hole flute
was made from a piece of elder about 1.5 inches in diameter and 2
feet long, with the soft pith removed. Other instruments made from
the tree include the bullroarer, a long slat that was twirled on
the end of a long cord to make a low humming sound, and the
split-stick clapper used to accompany the rattle during dances.
The cache is a plastic tube container about six inches long and
one inch in diameter. Original contents included: a log, a short
automatic pencil, five California wild flower mini flashcards, and
a Geo Woodstock VI pin for the FTF. We won the camo and container
at an event raffle last year.