Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Library: Ethnobotany

Food is a blessing, gratefully and respectfully gathered and prepared, given and received with just as much gratification and respect. - Coast Salish core value of food

Food is the essence of culture, from the collection, to the preparation, to the serving and then the eating of food; it is what makes us who we are. It binds us to our families, our community, our history, our identity, and our home.

yəhúməct Traditional Foods Project involves three inter-connecting focus areas which are based upon S’Klallam culture and traditions; healthy eating, physical activity, and seasonal cultural practices. Using a Village model, we are bringing groups together to learn about harvesting and processing land and sea foods, and plants, bark, and roots with cultural and medicinal uses.

Native American Ethnobotany offers visitors a comprehensive "database of plants used as drugs, foods, dyes, fibers, and more, by Native Peoples of North America." This searchable database is the result of more than 25 years of work and contains over 44,000 items, which "represents uses by 291 Native American groups of 4,029 species from 243 different plant families."

This site from the Cooperative Extension Office has a lot of great information on traditional plants and foods. These programs of the Northwest Indian College promote self-sufficiency and wellness for indigenous people through culturally grounded, multi-generational, and holistic classes related to native foods and medicines. Be sure to scroll to the bottom for more links and videos.

Northwest Indian College Traditional Plants and Foods Program -- Learn more about traditional plants and foods and how they are used.

Find out how plants have been used through the ages for food, medicine, clothing, dyes, and many more uses.