Revitalizing Food Culture from the Cascades to the Salish Sea
$100 for Burke Members, $120 for general public
Explore how Native plants of the northwest were managed, harvested, and prepared by Indigenous peoples for food and material items in a special class with a group of accomplished ethnobotanists led by Dr. Joyce LeCompte. This four evening course will cover an introduction to ethnobotany, an overview of traditional diets, preparation of wood fiber and other materials, systems of resource management, and the revitalization of traditional foods and diets.
Joyce LeCompte is an Environmental Anthropologist whose research covers food sovereignty movements in Coast Salish communities, non-timber forest resources, and human relationships with fire. Other instructors include Abe Lloyd, Director of Salal; and Elise Krohn and Valerie Segrest, authors of Feeding the People, Feeding the Spirit.
- March 29, 7 pm: An introduction to ethnobotany, its origins and history to date; and an overview of northwest coast food systems and traditional diets based on ecosystems from “white cap to white cap.” (Elise Krohn and Joyce LeCompte)
- April 5, 7 pm: Manipulating plants and other natural materials to make tools for cooking, hunting and gathering food. (Abe Lloyd)
- April 12, 7 pm: Traditional systems of resource management such as burning camas meadows and berry patches. (Joyce LeCompte)
- April 19, 7 pm: Continuing traditions; how legal precedents such as the Boldt decision, policies to protect foods, and a revitalized food culture are affecting native populations. (Valerie Segrest)
*The class fee includes all four sessions. Individual classes may become available at a later date if the class has not filled.
Cover Photo: Bentwood Halibut Hooks; Photo by Abe Lloyd