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The Camas Root
The camas root is a lily, the most important vegetable food known to the Indians of the northwest.
This vegetable retains its native name, found in the language of the Nootka Indians, in which camas means sweet. Camas beds were valuable family properties among the Indians. Jealously guarded and the trespassing on them could lead to serious quarrels and even death.
Camas has a spike of blue flowers which stand as much as 12 inches high above its rather narrow long green leaves. The bulb, found 5-6 inches below the surface, are about the size of a large walnut. They are white in color and look something like onions. They are a favorite food of pocket gophers, one species of which was called the camas rat because they ate so many of the tasty bulbs.
Digging camas, a job which fell to the girls and women, was hard work. Nearly six inches down in soil which was apt to be hard at that time of the year, they were difficult to get out with the simple digging sticks used for the purpose. These sticks were carefully made, usually of yew wood about 3 feet long, lightly curved, with a sharp 3-sided business end and a D-shaped handle of horn or antlers. The main shaft was nearly 2 inches thick, a strong and efficient tool.
The best time to harvest the bulbs is just before the flower fades, for they are at their largest. It is while the flowers are still visible that it is possible to be certain that the bulb is indeed the true camas. The Poison or Death Camas grow in the same places, at the same time and has very similar bulbs that are highly poisonous. The Death Camas has a creamy white flower, not unlike mignonette, and not at all like the Blue Camas. The digging must be done before the distinguishing mark disappears.
Camas digging days were a fine time for all, a whole village might move out to the camas meadows and camp there while the harvest was being gathered. Fires twinkled in the night and there was a great deal of feasting and visiting back and forth. Many an Indian lad now had a chance to compare the industry and conduct of the unmarried girls and court the one who took his fancy.
While the digging mad been hard work there was still the cooking to be undertaken before the camas could be used. True, some of the bulbs were eaten fresh as we do green onions, but this accounted for only a small portion of the crop. The bulbs would keep for some time, just as onions do, and there would generally be some to be found in camp in summer. By far, the major portion of the crop was either boiled or roasted.
In the early days before the Indians had access to vessels of pottery or metal, boiling had to se done in watertight boxes or closely woven baskets by the hot stone method. This consisted of heating stones in a fire and dropping them, with wooden tongs, into a container filled with water and the food to be cooked. As soon as a stone cooled it was lifted out and another hot one took its place. This was not an inefficient a process as one might imagine and at one time was almost world-wide in its distribution.
Various cooking recipes were known. The bulbs might be boiled and eaten as we do potatoes; they might be mashed up for a thick soup; they might be served with chunks of salmon in a stew; or they might be boiled down to a rich brown syrup like molasses, a dish much in favor for festive occasions. Roasting accounted for most of the harvest and to do this a process known as pit-baking was used, it was a tricky operation and generally left to an experienced old woman who would feel immensely important. After all, she might ruin hours of hard work by many women if she made a botch of it, for dozens of bushels would be roasted at a time.
First, a large shallow hole was dug. They lined the bottom and sides with stones and lit a big fire in the pit. When the stones were the hottest, the burning coals were raked out and a layer of a special kind of grass, which grows in the mountains, was laid on the hot stones. Then a layer of camas bulbs and more grass. This was them all covered over with hides and earth and another fire built on top, which was kept going for two nights and a day. During this time the pit could not be opened or even poked at. When at last the opening of the pit was done the camas was found as a brown sticky goo, much relished by the Indians and whites alike.
Once the camas had cooled it was molded into thin flat cakes which were fired in the sun and stored for use in the winter. When needed, a piece was broken off, soaked in water overnight, and was then ready for use. Sometimes a pale green hair-like lichen, called Absalom's Hair, was added while the cakes were being shaped. This did not change the taste much but it reinforced the mass. It was also used as a sweetener.
Camas grew around Nancy Creek. There were two varieties of Camas found in May. One, the "brown" camas, which was found north of Camas Prairie. "White" camas was dug in the area between Davenport and Creston. It is found in rocky areas of the plateau country. It was used for making flour. The camas root found around Davenport area could be eaten fresh or dried. "Black" camas was at one time found around Kettle Falls area but the cattle have eaten it up.
Food and Medical Plants of the Colville Area
from the book of Steven Doyle
NOTE -
The preceding article is from
a mimeographed pamphlet published by the
Stevens County Historical Society in 1981:
Indians of the Kettle Falls Area, pages 10-11.
Taken from a number of sources,
the material was edited by
Iris A. Pringle in 1981 for the
Stevens County Historical
Society's Oral History Project.
Last Updated
December 21, 2004
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