Skeetchestn Indian Band

Gathering

Gathering

There are approximately 60 – 70 different species of plants including root crops and berries collected and utilized throughout the community.

Loss of traditional and cultural activities has happened throughout the years. One way to bring back the traditional ways of gathering is to continue exercising our rights.

Report 1890 On the North-Western Tribes of Canada By F. Boas.

Pg. 637-638: At the time when the berries begin to ripen an overseer is set [by the chief] over the various berry patches, whose duty it is to see that nobody begins picking until the berries are ripe. He announces when the time has come, and the next morning the whole tribe set out and begin to pick berries, the field being divided up among the tribe. After they are through picking, the berries are divided among the families of the tribe. The chief receives the greatest portion. In the same way an overseer is set over the salmon fisheries, and the catch is divided among the whole tribe.

Economic Development

Learn more about our economic development projects

Basket Making

Report 1890 On the North-Western Tribes of Canada By F. Boas

Pg. 636: Their household goods are made principally of basketry, in which they excel. Basketry of the Shuswap and Ntlakya pamuq is sold extensively to the tribes of southern Vancouver Island. Their baskets are made of roots of the white pine. The roots are dyed black with an extract of fern root. and red with an extract of alder bark or with oxcide of iron. Very beautiful patterns are made in these three colours. Baskets are used for storing, carrying, and cooking provisions.

 

For information on Pine Baskets

Contact: Carroll Draney, Email: carroll_draney@hotmail.com, Phone: 250.373.2577
Mail: Carroll Draney P.O. Box 316 Savona, BC, Canada V0K 2J0

Trappers Tea

There are approximately 60 – 70 different species of plants including root crops and berries collected and utilized throughout the community. Loss of traditional and cultural activities has happened throughout the years. One way to bring back the traditional ways of gathering is to continue exercising our rights.

Report 1890 On the North-Western Tribes of Canada By F. Boas

Pg. 637-638: At the time when the berries begin to ripen an overseer is set [by the chief] over the various berry patches, whose duty it is to see that nobody begins picking until the berries are ripe. He announces when the time has come, and the next morning the whole tribe set out and begin to pick berries,the field being divided up among the tribe. After they are through picking, the berries are divided among the families of the tribe. The chief receives the greatest portion. In the same way an overseer is set over the salmon fisheries, and the catch is divided among the whole tribe.

Gathering Bitterroot

There are approximately 60 – 70 different species of plants including bitterroot

Bitterroot is found in areas among sagebrush or ponderosa pines, from British Columbia to southern California; east to Colorado, and Montana (where it is the state flower)

A low lying plant with comparatively large pink to nearly white flowers that bloom on short stalks. The flowers are 1.5-2.5 in (3.8-6.3 cm) wide, with leaves 0.5-2 in (1.3-5 cm) long and height of 0.5-2 in (1.3-5 cm).

The root of the Bitterroot plant is used as a traditional source of food. The roots were peeled and cooked or dried for winter use. Bitterroot is was considered a valuable plant and it figured prominently in trade. Shown here are community elders passing on their traditional knowledge of Bitterroot harvesting to the youth.

Plant List

Latin Name Common Name
Abies lasiocarpa Subalpine fir
Acer glabrum Douglas maple
Achillea millefolium Yarrow
Actaea rubra Baneberry
Agrostis scabra Hair bentgrass
Agrostis stolonifera Creeping bentgrass
Agropyron repens Quackgrass
Alnus crispa ssp. Sinuata Sitka alder
Amelanchier alnifolia Saskatoon
Anemone multifida Cut-leaf anemone
Angelica arguta Sharptooth angelica
Antennaria racemosa Racemose pussytoes
Antennaria spp. Pussytoes spp.
Aquilegia formosa Sitka columbine
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi kinnikinnick
Arnica cordifolia Heart-leaved arnica
Arnica fulgens Orange arnica
Arnica latifolia Mountain arnica
Aster conspicuus Showy Aster
Aster foliaceus Leafy aster
Aster Subspicatus Douglas Aster
Astragalus americanus American milk-vetch
Astragalus miser Timber milk-vetch
Aulacomnium palustre Glow moss
Calamagrostis canadensis Bluegrass
Calamagrostis rubescens Pinegrass
Carex athrostachya Slender-beaked sedge
Carex disperma Soft-leaved sedge
Carex rostrata Beaked sedge
Cerastium arvense Field chickweed
Chimaphila umbellata Prince’s-pine
Cinna latifolia Nodding wood-reed
Cladina rangiferina Grey reindeer lichen
Cladonia spp. Cladonia spp.
Climacium dendroides Palm moss
Clintonia uniflora Queen’s cup
Cornus canadensis Canadian bunchberry
Cratoneuron filicinum Spring claw moss
Danthonia intermedia Timber oatgrass
Dicranella rufescens Dicranella moss
Dicranum scoparium Broom moss
Drepanocladus uncinatus
Eleocharis palustris Common spike-rush
Elymus glaucus Blue wildrye
Epilobium angustifolium Fireweed
Epilobium ciliatum Purple-leaved willowherb
Equisetum pratense Meadow horsetail
Equisetum arvense Common horsetail
Equisetum scirpoides Dwarf scouring-rush
Erigeron peregrinus ssp. Callianthemus Showy daisy
Erigeron speciosus ssp. Speciosus Subalpine daisy
Festuca occidentalis Western fescue
Fragaria virginiana Wild Strawberry
Galium boreale Northern bedstraw
Galium triflorum Sweet-scented bedstraw
Geocaulon lividum Bastard toad-flax
Geranium richardsonii White geranium
Geum macrophyllum Large-leaved avens
Goodyera oblongifolia Rattlesnake plantain
Heracleum lanatum Cow-parsnip
Hieracium albiflorum White hawkweed
Homalothecium aeneum Golden curls moss
Hylocomium splendens Step moss
Juniperus communis Common juniper
Juniperus scopulorum Rocky mountain juniper
Lathyrus nevadensis Purple peavine
Lathyrus ochroleucus Creamy peavine
Ledum grandulosum Trapper’s tea
Lilium columbianum Tiger lily
Linnaea borealis Twinflower
Lonicera involucrata Black twinberry
Lupinus arcticus Arctic lupine
Luzula parviflora Small-flowered wood-rush
Lycopodium companatum Ground-cedar
Lycopodium dendroideum Ground-pine
Marchantia polymorpha Green tongue wort
Mitella nuda Common mitrewort
Mnium spinulosum Flapper moss
Muhlenbergia cuspidata Plains Muhly
Orthilia secunda One sided wintergreen
Oryzopsis asperifolia Rough-leaved ricegrass
Oryzopsis pungens Short-awned ricegrass
Osmorhiza chilensis Mountain sweet-cicely
Parnassia fimbriata Fringed grass-of-parnassus
Pedicularis bracteosa Wood betony
Peltigera aphthosa Freckle pelt
Peltigera canina Dog pelt lichen
Petasites frigidus var. palmatus Palmate Coltsfoot
Petasites sagittatus Arrow-leaved Coltsfoot
Phleum alpinum Alpine Timothy
Picea engelmannii Engelmann spuce
Pinus contorta Lodgepole pine
Plagiochila aspleniodides Cedar-shake wort
Plagiomnium insigne Badge moss
Plagiomnium medium Trailing leafy moss
Platanthera dilatata White bog-orchid
Pleurozium schreberi Red stem feather moss
Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass
Pohlia cruda pohlia moss
Pohlia nutans Red-cap moss
Polytrichum juniperinum Juniper haircap moss
Populus balsamifera Black cottonwood
Populus tremuloides Trembling aspen
Potentilla diverseifolia Diverse-leaved cinquefoil
Ptilium crista-castrensis Knight’s plume
Pyrola asarifolia Pink wintergreen
Pyrola minor Lesser wintergreen
Pyrola uniflora Single delight
Ranunculus uncinatus Little buttercup
Rhytidiadelphus loreus Hanging basket moss
Rhytidiopsis robusta Pipecleaner moss
Ribes cereum Squaw current
Ribes hudsonianum Northern black current
Ribes lacustre Black Gooseberry
Rosa asicularis Prickly rose
Rubus idaeus Red raspberry
Rubus pedatus Five-leaved bramble
Rubus pubescens Trailing rsapberry
Salix spp. Willow spp.
Scolochloa festucacea Spangle-top
Senecio canus Wooly groundsel
Senecio pseudaureus Streambank butterweed
Senecio triangularis Arrow-leaved groundsel
Sheperdia canadensis Soopolallie
Smilacina stellata Star-flowered false Solomon’s-seal
Sphagnum squarrosum Shaggy peat moss
Spirea betulifolia Birch-leaved spiarea
Stellaria crispa Crisp starwort
Streptopus amplexifolius Clasping twisted stock
Symphoricarpos albus Common snowberry
Taraxacum officinale Common dandelion
Thalictrum occidentale Western meadowrue
Thuidium recognitum Lacy fern moss
Tiarella unifoliata One-leaved foamflower
Timmia austriaca False haircap moss
Trifolium pratense Red clover
Trollius laxus Globeflower
Urtica dioica Stinging nettle
Vaccinium caespitosum Dwarf Blueberry
Vaccinium membranaceum Black huckleberry
Vaccinium ovalifolium Oval-leaved blueberry
Vaccinium scoparium Grouseberry
Valeriana sitchensis Sitka valerian
Veronica hederaefolia Ivy leaf speedwell
Veronica wormskjoldii American brooklime
Viburnum edule High-bush cranberry
Viola canadensis Canada violet
Viola glabella Stream violet