What was the food of the Cahuilla?

The Cahuilla were hunter-gatherers. The men hunted deer, rabbits and other small game, as well as fished. The women gathered acorns, fruits, nuts and beans.

There were no big game animals where the Cahuilla lived, and although they had deer and rabbits, they relied mostly on desert plants for their main sources of food. When acorns from the few oak trees were available, they created bread made with acorn flour. They also ate the fruit of the mesquite tree, along with agave and yucca plants. Many of the local cacti and palm trees produced edible fruit, which was routinely harvested. The Cahuilla often ate seeds from plants, such as chia seeds.