Root Dig

[AdamM]

This is from my field trip the other day with my students from the tribal school. We went out to dig white camas the traditional way, and seeing the looks on my students faces and being outdoors with no phone service was refreshing. This was one of my 8th-grade girls asking to show off how proud she was after an hour of digging and making her ancestors proud.

 

[AlanLichty]

Interesting adventure.

Out of curiosity do the parents of these students know how to do this? Grandparents? Once upon a time all tribal youngsters would learn this from their parents and from the sounds of it that knowledge path is gone.

 

[JimFox]

That's so cool Adam! I am glad you are helping to keep the old ways alive. And not having cell reception sure must have been crazy for them.

What is the White Camas used for?

 

[AdamM]

Interesting adventure.

Out of curiosity do the parents of these students know how to do this? Grandparents? Once upon a time all tribal youngsters would learn this from their parents and from the sounds of it that knowledge path is gone.

Quite a lot of the kids do learn from family members, but not all families continue to follow the traditional methods or follow the seasonal calendars of the tribes. The knowledge is most certainly not lost, but it certainly is being set aside by many in favor of modern convenience and modern luxuries.

 

[AdamM]

That's so cool Adam! I am glad you are helping to keep the old ways alive. And not having cell reception sure must have been crazy for them.

What is the White Camas used for?

White camas was one of the staple foods for the Salish tribes. They would dig it up in mass quantities and then cook it in giant pit bakes and then eat it as a bulb, grind it to make a kind of flat bread, or dry it to add to soup.

 

[JimFox]

White camas was one of the staple foods for the Salish tribes. They would dig it up in mass quantities and then cook it in giant pit bakes and then eat it as a bulb, grind it to make a kind of flat bread, or dry it to add to soup.

How interesting! Thanks Adam.