(Note: The bakwam'kala terms in this post are NOT spelled correctly, they are as close as I could get them without a special alphabet. Ask an elder what the proper pronunciation is, and if they tell you the words are wrong, please post corrections in the comments :)
Spring has definitely come to Tsulquate. Today was a beautiful sunny day (for a while, anywways) so I decided to take a walk around our community and take some photographs for the www.gwanak.info website so that it reflects the change in seasons.
Over and over again throughout the years I have heard the elders speak about the need to re-connect with nature and the seasons. In the old days our people's lifestyle changed throughout the year, from intense food gathering (and travelling all over the territories to gather that food, depending on what was in season where) in the warmer months, to staying put and feasting in the winter months, our people adapted to changes in their environment.
The skunk cabbage is definitely one of those plants that tells us that Spring has arrived. People say that's when the first bears show up, when the skunk cabbage start appearing (typically in March). Here is a beautiful skunk cabbage near a creek in Tsulquate, called ka'okw in our language. The leaves of the skunk cabbage are sometimes called "Indian wax paper" because they were often used to wrap food, line baskets etc. The leaves were also used to heal people, either as poultices (laid right on the wound) or as part of a bath.
Another plant that symbolizes Spring is the salmon berry. The new shoots of the salmon berry, called kwatlam, can be peeled and eaten raw (sometimes dipped in sugar) as a vegetable.
Of course the warm weather means that weeds get a boost too. Dandelions are coming up in force around these parts. You can eat dandelion leaves in salad (wash them well first) though they might be to bitter for some.
Another useful plant that we start to see in Spring is the horsetail. It's rough texture makes it a handy plant for scrubbing out your dishes when you're camping!
I hope these photos inspire you to get out there and start experiencing this beautiful season for yourself.
By Jessie Hemphill
Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations Communications Officer