September 5-7, 2012

The first annual Our Food is Our Medicine (OFOM) gathering was a great success, attracting over 130 tribal food sovereignty leaders from the Pacific Northwest region and beyond. Northwest Indian College’s Institute of Indigenous Foods and Traditions hosted this two and a half day conference at Islandwood, an educational facility located on Bainbridge Island, WA. It included interactive workshops, panel discussions, skill sharing, nature walks, fireside storytelling, medicine making, a traditional foods feast, and many other valuable experiences. The gathering served as a platform where everyone could share their gifts, knowledge, and resources.

Our Medicine

Our Food is

The Institute of Indigenous Foods & Traditions was createdin 2011 by Northwest Indian College’s Cooperative Extension staff. The Institute serves as a house of knowledge, a place where program successes and resources can be shared and celebrated. This conference was not only the kickoff event for the Institute but it also embodied the Institute’s mission, by embracing ancestral knowledge and identifying successful models of change we can build tribal community strength and resilience. We all carry gifts and knowledge, and during this gathering we witnessed what can be birthed when we bring together people who are

passionate about food, community wellness, and spirit.

Roger Fernandes, a member of the Lower Elwha S’Klallam tribe, kicked off the conference by sharing the story of “Spreading Out.” Spreading Out, a Coast Salish design, represents a plant, some claim the fern, spreading itself out and sharing its elemental gifts with its surroundings.

This image perfectly captures the objective of the OFOM conference: to open up our work and share what we have learned throughout the years. By doing so we allow our successes to take root and we cultivate new alliances in Indian Country.

About Conference Location: IslandwoodIslandwood is a unique 255 acre outdoor learning center located on

Bainbridge Island, WA. This venue enhanced the conference’s learning objectives. We were able to hold plant walks, workshops and cooking demos outside on Islandwood’s beautiful grounds. Throughout our stay the kitchen provided healthy and delicious meals using local, seasonal ingredients. Some meals even included recipes from Northwest Indian College’s staff! Participants stayed in eco-friendly cabins nestled in the woods. These cozy dwellings allowed participants to have special moments with each other and nature. Islandwood’s campfire amphitheater generated the perfect atmosphere for storytelling and cultural sharing. The ambiance of Islandwood brought people together, and provided a space where people could learn, explore, and grow.

Spreading Out

Salmon & Clams over a fireSalmon and seafood are essential to the native people of the Salish Sea. On September 6th, Elaine Grinnell, a Jamestown S’Klallam/Lummi Elder, and Earl Claxton, a Tsawout First Nation Elder, cooked salmon and clams over a fire the traditional way - salmon switchback with alder sticks and clams strewn on sticks (some clams dressed with a modern flair - Earl’s teriyaki secret recipe!).

Regional Stories of Change

Alaskan Native Tribal Health Consortium

Often times grant objectives and isolated locations silo us in our work. Due to budget constraints and the lack of time many are unable to generate holistic collaboration and connection among tribal programs. Thus, this year’s focus

was to highlight the work that is being done in the Northwest region. By sharing innovative success stories we can begin building the bridges between tribal food

sovereignty leaders. We were honored to have special guests from the Alaskan Native Tribal Health Consortium and the Vancouver Island Indigenous Food Project present on

their programs. Their stories rejuvenated our morale.

Desiree Bergeron (Tlingit), Meda DeWitt Schleifman (Tlingit), and Dr. Gary Ferguson (Unangan/Aleut) presented on the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) “Store Outdoor Your Door, a Wellness and Prevention initiative to promote the knowledge and use of traditional foods and traditional ways. Traditional Foods, Contemporary Chef is a webisode series that takes the audience out to harvest the “Store Outside Your Door”. Then the audience journeys into the kitchen to learn how to prepare a delicious and nutritious traditional dish with the food harvested. The webisodes are no longer then 6-8 minutes and can be streamed for free online. This allows ANTHC to reach a wide number of Alaskan Natives. From ANTHC’s webisode series to their ‘Plants as Food and Medicine’ workshops the aim is to discover and share the wisdom of Alaska Native Elders in knowing how to harvest and use the amazing bounty that each region offers, and it is inspiring to see the creative mediums they are utilizing to bring this knowledge into the communities.

Earl Claxton, Fiona Deveraux, Anna Spahan and JB Williams shared success stories of the Vancouver Island Indigenous Food Project. This project encompasses Feasting for Change, an annual feast where representatives from each Nation

are invited to share crab, halibit, salmon and other traditional foods. The feasts spark stories between elders and youth about how to bring people together and get back to basics by using traditional knowledge and expertise held by traditional knowledge keepers. The mission of Feasting for Change is to organize feasts in different First Nation communities in an attempt to strengthen Indigenous Food Sovereignty. Since May 2007, when the first feast took place, over 5000 people have participated in 40 such events. The impacts of the feasts have been incredible.

Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities Indigenous Food Network

Elise Krohn and Elizabeth Campbell, NWIC’s traditional plants and foods educators, shared stories, nutritional benefits, medicinal properties and their favorite recipes on late summer berries — elderberries, hawthorn berries, huckleberries and rosehips. Participants got to process hawthorn to dry and make tea, create elderberry syrup, blend huckleberry smoothies and make rose hip jam. Participants walked out of the workshop with elderberry stained hands, seeds in their teeth, and a stomach full of nutrition. Berry delicious!

Louie Ungaro, Leeroy Courville Jr., Matt Courville (Muckleshoot hunters) and Rob Purser (Suquamish fisher & hunter) demonstrated the full spectrum of processing a deer, from hunting it the day before, dressing it at the conference, preparing the meat to be cooked, and canning the remaining meat for participants to take home. The hunters shared their

philosophies on hunting that uphold their deep food culture despite modern changes to food systems. Participants enjoyed the meat in a delicious venison stew at the traditional foods feast and were able to be part of a process that has been carried through generations.

In pursuit of a living legacy, A hunter’s Panel and Demo

late season berries

REMOVE COALS FROM THE ROCKSLAYER MORE PLANTS OVER VEGGIES

LAY ROCK AND BUILD FIRE TO HEAT

POUR WATER INTO OVEN, COVER WITH BURLAP SACK

LAY SKUNK CABBAGE, SALAL LEAF & FERNS OVER ROCKS

PLACE VEGETABLES INTO PIT OVEN

UNEARTH & ENJOY

A bentwood box is carved out of cedar. It is called “bentwood” because it is made from a piece of wood that is steamed and then bent. Abe Lloyd, a PNW wild food expert, showed

participants how to boil potatoes with this traditional cooking technique. First one must place volcanic rock in a fire. In the meantime fill the bentwood box with water. Then using traditional tongs (made from a forked

branch) transfer the rocks from the fire into the water filled box. Repeat until water comes to a boil. Cover the box

with a lid.

How to Cook in a Pit Oven

Miguel Hernandez, NWIC Muckleshoot Community Gardener, and Gene Enos, NWIC student, led the pit oven demonstration with the help of many participants. The demonstration took a total of 5 ½ hrs and was labor intensive. Each step was done with many helping hands, and good intent. The pit oven produced some of the most earthy, flavorful vegetables we have ever tasted.

Bentwood Box Demo

1.

5.

10.6.

7.

COVER OVEN WITH DIRT 8.

COOK FOR 4 HRS.9.

DIG A PIT OVEN

3.

4.

2.

Restoring Root GardensLeigh Jospeh

Huckleberry HeavenWarren King George, Elizabeth Swanaset, Joyce Mastenbrook

The Gifts of the Big Leaf MapleDr. Terry Maresca

Cultivating Community GardensRepresentatives from Nisqually, Tulalip, Suquamish, Bainbridge Island

From the Ground Up: Growing Communities Based on Community NeedAnnie Brule, Roger Fernandes, Jessica Porter, Valerie Segrest

Foods from East of the CascadesRodney Cawston

Lummi Traditional Foods ResearchVanessa Cooper

Traditional Foods BingoFran Miller, Barbara Hoffman

Islandwood Plant WalkElise Krohn, Valerie Segrest

Plant People Art

Meeting and Eating

Today, as we look at the graphic designs created by many Coast Salish artists, we see the familiar figures of the killer whale, bear, salmon, and eagle, but very seldom do we see plant designs. Roger Fernandes, Lower Elwha S’Klallam tribal member, led a workshop that looked at the important plants used by the Coast Salish people and

explored ways of revitalizing plant design to teach and promote plant knowledge. Roger provided

a brief overview of how Coast Salish designs are made and expanded to reveal how we can create plant designs today by

drawing on the traditional art styles of our ancestors. Participants were able to create their very own plant design with the guidance of Coast Salish artists and designers.

On the first day of the gathering we hosted a meet and greet where people could share their skills, trade recipes, sample each others’ traditional foods and medicines, and play plant games. Theresa Parker, a Makah tribal member, demonstrated basketweaving and taught participants how to make cedar rope and cedar roses. Many participants brought food from their homes to offer as samplings.

Heather Lopez delighted folks with foods she harvested near Mt. Adams, including bitteroots, biscuitroots, black huckleberries, and dried salmon and elk. Elise Krohn shared her delicious salal and blueberry fruit leather, and Benjamin Pixie brought jars upon jars of honey he harvested. Throughout the evening participants

submitted their guesses for the plant ID game, where they had to identify 15 Northwest plants. This was a great opportunity to get to know one another.

Our Food is Our Medicine Workshops

Michael Vendiola

Joseph Henry

Diane Vendiola

Paul Cline

“A highlight for me was the healthy meals shared together and the cultural sharing at the campfires. Participants shared personal songs or stories, some referring to foods and places they came from; this drew all of the audience together in understanding one another. The OFOM conference left attendees emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually uplifted. I hope the knowledge seeds (wisdom) distributed at the gathering can be taken back and rooted into the many tribal communities”

“Coming over here and hearing plant and food stories from people all over the region made me think about the abundance of food and traditions we have at home. It was good to hear about the ways they are keeping the knowledge alive, and I am excited to bring back this experience to my tribe in Oregon”.

“I had one of the best times attending the OFOM conference. I got to spend 3 days and 2 nights eating healthy foods, away from television, telephones and computers, with only the woods and other people to interact with. The activities at the conference brought back memories of my parents, especially shucking 4 trays of steamed clams. Almost every weekend my parents would invite friends and relatives over for a little gathering. My brother and I would help prepare for these gatherings and I was happy that my son and grandson got to have a similar experience at this conference. There was lots of laughs and learning !”

“It was a great opportunity for me as a NWIC student to attend the OFOM conference. I got to work side by side with my friends and family helping prepare the pit oven. That is something I will forever remember. I felt alive and inspired after the three days.”

Participant Testimonials

Swinomish Tribal Elder

Warm

Springs Tribal Mem

ber

Swinomish Tribal Member

Lumm

i Tribal Mem

ber

Enjoying Good Food and People

Monica Galicia, NWIC student, and Jessica Porter, NWIC instructor sharing a fresh meal together.

Theresa Parker, Makah, shows Anna Spahan, Tsartlip, a basket weaving technique.

RIGHT: Chelsea Ross, Lummi NWIC employee, and Eric Lewis, NWIC student, volunteered and made sure everything ran smoothly.

Leigh Joseph, Squamish, introduces her workshop Sept. 5.

Hugh Thompson brings fire roasted ribs to the traditional feast.

Elizabeth Egan enjoys a huckleberry smoothie.

LEFT: Ben Stewart, Lakota, and Jim White, Islandwood’s head chef, celebrate three days of delicious meals and memories.

NWIC Nisqually student Shin-Gee Dunston shares a song during a meal.

The OFOM banner with the spreading out symbol, created by Myron Fryburg, Tulalip.

Paticipants enjoyed a traditional foods feast on September 6th. The food was prepared during the day at the traditional foods cooking demos where many lent a helping hand. On the menu: salmon, veggies roasted in the pit oven, smoked clams, venison kabobs, and venison ribs.

Annie Brule sampling elderberry syrup at the Late Summer Berries workshop

Susan Given-Seymour and Valerie Segrest, NWIC Cooperative Extension staff, listen to stories at a campfire.

Richard Vendiola about to dig into another deliciously prepared meal.

Dr. Terry Maresca, Mohawk, enjoys fire-cooked clams during traditional foods cooking demos.

Resources

Report Photo Credits: Elise Krohn, Eric Lewis, Ryan Key-Wynne, Jessica Urbanec, Michael Vendiola

Feeding the People, Feeding

the SpiritElise Krohn and Valerie Segrest

Wild Rose and Western Red

Cedar Elise Krohn

To order these books please contact:

Gail Julius(360) 595-4396gjulius@nwic.edu

Meghan McCormick(360) 594-4099mmccormick@nwic.edu

Alaskan Native Tribal Health Consortium

For more information on the ANTHC “Store Outside Your Door” visit:

www.anthctoday.org/storeoutside

or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/StoreOutside

Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities Indigenous Food Network

Thank You to our Funders

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

See the Feasting for Change Story at www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF7PNeSoGV0

Visit their blog at feastingforchangevi.blogspot.ca