Pacheedaht Nature Walk Aug 18 2010

Over the past weeks the youth group in the Pacheedaht First Nation have been working together and learning more about the plants and foods in their territory. On August 18th, the group was lead on a Nature walk by invited guests Earl Claxton Jr and Lewis Williams from the Tsawout First Nation. Community member Stacy Jones and Madelen Jones lead and welcomed us to the old harvesting territory by Farry Lake. They had found out at their last treaty meeting that this was the old plant and medicine harvesting place.

List of Plants we saw in Pacheedaht with a brief summary from Lewis Williams

1) Cloak of the frog (Common Plantain): This plant can be used to treat mosquito bites and bee stings, chew it up a little then apply to area.

2) English plantain: This one can also be used for mosquito bites and bee stings, and the Saxons used it to cure headaches by wrapping it with red wool to their heads.

3) Sap of Spruce: The sap was used as gum, like today’s gum is.

4) Small flower Alumroot: The Skagit pounded it and rubbed it in little girls hair to help it grow thick, also they used for cuts.

5) Sword fern: Sword fern is a sacred plant to the Saanich people and is used in a lot of ceremonies to this day.
6) Lady’s fern: This is a beautiful fern that can inhabit the areas as the Sword fern and you can eat the fiddle heads of both species.

7) Skunk cabbage: The leaves of the Skunk cabbage are used by the Saanich people to wrap their food when using the pitcook method. The flesh in the stem can be eaten.

8) Hookers fairy bells: Some interior nations ate the berries but most northwest coast peoples consider them poisonous and associated them with snakes or ghosts.

9) Huckleberry: This berry comes in three different species on Vancouver Island, there is the Red huckleberry, The Evergreen huckleberry and the Oval leafed huckleberry.

10) Wall lettuce: This is an introduced plant that is quite well spread out through Vancouver Island and is bitter until it gets a frost then it will sweeten up.

11) Fungus, Conk, Echoes: This is used to absorb bad energy or gossip that is being said about you or thrown your way.

12) Pacific Sanicle: Sanicles are unpopular in pastures because if eaten by the cows it will impart an unpleasant flavour to the milk.

13) False lily of the valley: The Cowichan drank a root tea to treat internal injuries.

14) Old man’s beard (grey mans beard): There is a legend that says do not get this on your head or you will become lost in life, in spirituality, or emotionally.

15) Osier dogwood: The branches were used as salmon spreaders and basket rims.


16) Hard Hack: The branches were used by some Nuu-chah-nulth to make brooms for collecting tubular marine dentalis shells, which was a form of currency among the northwest coast peoples.

17) Pearly Everlasting: Ditidaht healers rub this plant on their hands to make them soft.

18) Cooley’s hedge nettle: This plant is in the mint family and was used by some for medicine, by others it was eaten, then there was some nations that did not consider it edible.

19) Burdock: The leaves can be used to treat bee stings and the root can be made into a tea to cleanse the blood.

20) Clover : This plant can be used in a salad, the whole plant can be eaten and is a source of iron.

T'Souke First Nation Feast Aug 23, 2010

On August 23rd 2010 the T’Sou-ke First Nation invited many to join them in a day to celebrate the many gifts of their Territory. The day was to engage the youth and young people around their food, land and culture. Leader and passionate food champion Christine George organized the day with great joy and expertise. The day began with a welcome and prayer by Elders Shirley Alphonse and Linda Bristol. They settled us all together and helped us give thanks to Mother Earth and the Creator for the gifts of the food.

The day focused on hands on learning. All the participants we separated into gathering groups and set out to gather mussels, rockstickers, stickshoes and dig for clams. The food was scraped and cleaned and the food was boiled in some of the clam juice. We also made a delicious clam chowder on the beach. John was busy with the freshly caught salmon from Joe. John then lightly smoked and then BBQ'd the fish. It was the best fish we have ever had. We were also treated to freshly picked berry salad and fruit salad. Delicious.

Tsawout Seafood Festival 2010

Seafood Festival June 12, 2010

The Tsawout First Nation Seafood Festival is an annual event held at Tsawout on the Saanich Peninsula. The event was located on TIXEN, which is also known as Cordova Spit. The event was a day of education on seafood, and learning the importance of harvesting these foods so they can be incorporated into our daily diet.

This year’s event took place on June 12th 2010, from 11:00am – 3:00 pm. The day was filled with cultural activities including the first salmon ceremony and traditional pit cooking. We will also have information booths set up for the day’s participants, which will include the Goldstream Hatchery, RCMP, Feasting for Change, Diabetes Team, Parks Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, World Fisheries Trust/Seachange (Sea life Touch Tank) and the University of Victoria to name a few.

Delicious Sea Urchins away the crowds of passionate eaters.

Over 1200 people attended the event and feasting on BBQ salmon, prawns, crabs, clam chowder, mussels, sea urchins, baked bread, corn, potatoes and much more.

Nancy Turner hunting for greens for the pit.

Earl Claxton Jr sharing his tools and resources.

The Real FAST food - fresh fruits to go!

Cooking and cleaning crab!

BBQ fish.

Pit cooking experts and friends Belinda Claxton and Nancy Turner.

Putting the pit together!

Herman Underwood teaching his fish cleaning skills.

Roberta Pelkey sharing her weaving expertise as she makes the top of a cedar hat.

The Salmon Ceremony lead by the Pelkey Family.

The Feasting For Change Youth Sandy and Kat with their mentor Jen!

Opening the pit - the Oysters are ready!

Collecting the delicious food out of the pit.

It was again an amazing event. We all hold our hands up to Dan Claxton and the Tsawout First Nation Community for creating an event that highlight the importance of the traditional foods, the waterways and lands that provide them. Their dedication to creating an day that bridges the outside communities members, agencies and resources together is essential to creating sustainable solutions to healthy food, land and culture.