t̓ ᶿɛwq

Red elderberry is a highly medicinal plant for the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific North West. The berries can be made into cough syrups, teas and tinctures and is used to fight infection.

taχəmay

Cedar is often acknowledged as the tree of life. All parts of the tree from the roots to the branches were used in every aspect of life on the coast. From baskets made from roots used as cradles for babies, clothing made from the bark, baskets made from branches to harvest food, to huge ocean going canoes made from the wood, the cedar tree provided for the Tla’amin people in all areas of life. Medicinal teas can even be made from the cedar tree.

ƛoχʷay

The Tla’amin people lived next to a chum salmon run and this variety of salmon was very important to the people. It is perfect for smoking and comes up our river when the weather has cooled down which makes smoking it much easier then smoking the delicate flesh of the sockeye salmon that is gathered in the fall. The chum salmon smokes better and is easier to store over the winter in the past before things like canning were common place.

t̓ uxʷʊm

The edible red huckleberry will often be found growing on stumps and logs where it uses the nutrients from the dead trees to grow. The berries come later in the year and are always a favourite.

qagən

This refers to the rose hip and not the actual flower. Nootka Rose hips have been used medicinally and are still harvested today. They are rich in many vitamins. People sometimes make jellies out of the rose hips. There is a special way of preparing them though and you should always take direction from someone experienced when wildcrafting plants.

t̓ ɛ n ɛ k̓ ʷ

This is the actual berry. Salmonberries are the first berry that ripen in the spring here in Tla’amin territory. They are always a favourite here. Salmonberry stew is a fun snack often made for children but enjoyed by the whole family. It is made by mashing the berries with a little bit of water and adding a sweetener of your choice. In the past a source of fat was added, like ƛ̓ ɛna, an oil that is made by rendering oolichan (a small candle fish) to make this an even more nutritious snack.

h ɛ g ən

Wild Strawberries are always fun to find. In the past, children used to take the long grasses often found next to the wild strawberries and string the tiny berries on to the grasses to feast on later.

p̓ i χay

The red alder tree has many utility uses from it’s wood that some prefer to use green for smoking fish, to it’s bark that can be used to make a wonderful red dye. The shoots can also be used medicinally as a tea or made into a tincture.

waxəs

As a kid I remember learning that this was the word for a smaller species of frog but also the word for the sound it makes. So when imitating a frog this is the sound you would make. Also a word used in other nations for frog.

paʔapyunəč * kʷəkʷətaləq

I always thought the first word referred to moths but when I double checked on First Voices it said it was a swallowtail butterfly. I think the second word is the general word used for butterfly and the one I was taught as a kid.

ɬag ə t

Herring are incredibly important food source on the coast. Historically, the runs in the area were huge and many Tla’amin place names refer to the herring. The name t̓ i šos əm refers to where the Tla’amin village is now and it means the place with milky waters referring the the herring spawn that used to happen there. In the 80’s the herring fishery overfished the area and there hadn’t been any signs of the stocks returning until recently. In the last few years there have been small spawns seen o ff the coast of t̓ i šos əm and tiskʷət (powell river) again! In the past the herring here were so abundant that you could harvest them with a rake on the beach. Hopefully we will see those numbers again!

paʔajɛ

Refers to the young shoots of the salmonberry plant. Often eaten and considered the first fresh plant food of the spring by many.