Spilyay tymoo., August 25, 1978, Page 6, Image 6

PAGE 1 AUGUST 25. 1578
AUGUST 25, 1878 PAGE 7
leberry Tradition
«SÄ
Giving Thanks
for Earth’s Bounty
August is a time for worship
and thanksgiving, as was witnes­
sed during the annual Huckle­
berry Feast held at HeHe Mill
August 13th.
The traditional ceremonies
were observed this, year as they
have been for generations. They
are part of a lifestyle in the
Indian culture that centers on
giving thanks to the Creator for
bountiful foods.
The seven drum religion is
the backbone of the festivities for
translating by song the Indian
way of saying “thanks” to the
Great Spirit. Each song has its
own significance and plays an
important role during the cere­
monies.
Through songs the sun, the
earth, the water, the vegetation,
and solid foods such as fish and
meats are acknowledged for
their life-giving spirit.
The world was created by
song and this is why the seven
drum religion is so important.
The son observing the sun is the
way of giving thanks for the light
which aids us in seeing our
needs. Thanks are given for the
earth on which we live and
depend for our livelihood. There
is a Song for water; which is the
main source of survival for both
plant and animal life. We give
thanks for all the vegetation such
as roots, herbs and berries
offered by the earth. And a song
is sung for the fish and game
which have kept the Indian
culture alive through the years.
In the spring as the roots
mature on the plains
and
plateaus, the spring salmon runs
are at a high peak. During that
season salmon is the main dish.
In the summer as the berries
ripen, the women go out and
gather them while the men are
out hunting deer for venison
jerky. It is then that venison is
the main dish.
Right down through the
years it has been the tradition to
let no one into the berry patches
before the regular ceremonies
were completed.
When the berries are offi­
cially declared ready, one repre­
sentative from each family is
selected to go and gather the first
fruits of the year for the festival.
It is not until the festivities
were over that anyone can
venture into the berry fields to
gather and store the year’s
supply of berries.
Worship services begin even
before the picking of the berries.
The women sing songs and offer
prayers in the berry fields before
they begin picking.
At the feast there is more
worship. Seven rounds of seven
songs are completed before the
berries are brought into the
longhouse. As the women file in
with baskets of berries on their
backs, they enter according to
their ancestry.
Salmon is served first, then
the venison, the roots and the
berries. The final preparation on
the table before anyone is seated
is the water. The water is said to
be used as a purification of the
body before consumption of the
new food. Choosh! is called,
everyone drinks water, and the
feast begins.
It is said that a lot of the old
Indian customs have changed to
fit into the modern Indian life­
style. Some believe this will
prevent the coming generations
from thoroughly understanding
the true meaning of the tradi­
tional root and huckleberry
feasts.
For many it is a time for
having fun and eating well, but
for those who honor tradition, it
is a time for giving solemn
thanks for earth’s bounty.
I
Photos by Cynthia Stowell
Story by Sid Miller