Salal, Cedar and Spruce: Salish Country Plants, Foods and Medicines -
Salal berries for digestive relief, Cedar tea to reduce fevers, and Spruce tips for nourishment and congestive relief... Traditional Salish foods and medicines are experiencing a revival in the Pacific Northwest. Indigenous peoples, environmentalists, and activists explore ways to nourish the body, mind, and spirit, fight food insecurity, address climate change and educate native youth about their traditions, which were often outlawed and nearly lost to colonization. In this 30-minute documentary, we explore this movement toward traditional knowledge for modern times and some of the myriad ways in which that knowledge is reemerging as a sustainable way to nourish and heal people and our struggling planet. We tour the urban woodlands with elder and traditional foods and medicines knowledge-keeper Dr. Rudolph Ryser. We visit the Tend, Gather, and Grow urban youth program in Wild Foods and Medicines in Olympia, Washington, building a cadre of native youth who are taking this knowledge back to their tribes. We explore the sustainable farming practices of the Squaxin Island Tribal Garden regional food security project, and partake in a delicious traditional feast with the Muckleshoot tribe. Join us on this journey toward a new sustainable future, built on strong healthy communities and traditional Indigenous knowledge rooted in a harmonious relationship with the earth.
Recent and Upcoming Airings