Overview
California Tule
Author:
Phil Albers (Karuk) Education Director Save California Salmon
Araceli Moreno
Maggie Peters (Yurok/Karuk), NASMC Learning Specialists Humboldt County Office of Education
Save California Salmon (SCS) is dedicated to policy change and community advocacy for Northern California’s salmon and fish dependent people. We support the fisheries and water protection work of the local communities, and advocate effective policy change for clean water, restored fisheries and vibrant communities.
Grade(s): 6-8 (middle school)
Suggested Amount of Time: Two 45 or one 90 minute session
Curriculum Themes
- History
- Cultural Strengths
- Relationship to Place
- Cross Curricular Integration
Learning Goals
Students will learn about the cultural perspective of the tule plant.
Students will learn about the habitat and environment of the tule plant.
Identify tule plants, habitat, various species of ecosystem.
Learn Traditional and Modern cultural applications of tule.
Learn of Historical Impacts on tule and wetlands.
Lesson Overview
This lesson explores the significance of the tule plant in both cultural and contemporary contexts. Tule is an important plant in California, known by various names depending on the land and people associated with it. In the Central Valley, the most common species are Schoenoplectus acutus (Common Tule) and Schoenoplectus californicus (California Bulrush). The name "tule" is derived from the Spanish settlers who adopted the Nahuatl term "tōllin," used by Indigenous people in Mexico City, to refer to the plant they encountered in California.
Tule grows in wetland environments such as ponds, lakes, marshes, and along shorelines of rivers, estuaries, and coastal areas. Historically, tule thrived across California, particularly in freshwater habitats. However, due to colonization, much of its habitat has been reduced by water diversions, drought, and development. As a result, tule is now primarily found in protected areas like state and federal parks, although California Indians face restrictions on gathering it in these locations.
Before European settlement, tule was central to the culture and economy of California Indian tribes. It was used in a variety of ways, including for ceremonial purposes, transportation, hunting, and food preparation. Tule’s versatility allowed it to be woven into baskets, mats, clothing, and shelters. Many tribes, such as the Kumeyaay, crafted tule boats for hunting whales, while others used tule decoys for waterfowl hunting or wore tule skirts during ceremonies. The traditional harvesting and use of tule were guided by Indigenous practices, and multiple tribes often shared wetlands, managing them through tribal laws.
Despite the challenges faced by tule due to colonization, it continues to be an essential plant in the cultural practices of California Indians, with its legacy preserved through modern generations.
Teacher Background
This lesson introduces students to the cultural and ecological significance of the tule plant, a vital resource for many Indigenous communities throughout Central California and beyond. Tule has been used for generations to make homes, boats, mats, and ceremonial items, and it plays an essential role in the wetlands ecosystems that Indigenous people have long stewarded. In particular, the Wintun/Patwin people, whose ancestral homelands include the Cache Creek watershed, maintain a deep and ongoing relationship with the land, water, and plants of this region. Their cultural teachings and traditional ecological knowledge reflect a sophisticated stewardship system that has supported life since time immemorial.
However, due to colonization, land theft, and large-scale environmental change, including wetland drainage for agriculture and urban development, vast areas of tule marsh have been lost, and access to this sacred and practical plant has been greatly reduced. The impact on both the land and Native lifeways has been profound. When teaching this lesson, it is essential to acknowledge these histories honestly while centering Indigenous resilience and sovereignty.
Best practices include using Indigenous sources when available, avoiding speaking on behalf of Native peoples, and reminding students that cultural teachings belong to the communities who live them. This lesson aims not to teach traditional practices, but to help students understand the deep interconnection between land, culture, and identity. This lesson intends to honor Indigenous relationships with tule and the wetland ecosystems that are still actively protected and restored by Tribal Nations today.