Posted on Oct 2, 2023
Swinomish Tribe builds US’s first modern ‘clam garden,' reviving ancient practice
546
2
1
1
1
0
By the time you read this story, what it describes will probably have disappeared beneath the waves.
That’s how it was meant to be — and how it used to be.
Since time immemorial, as the saying goes, people in what is now Washington and British Columbia farmed the sea with a type of environmental engineering called clam gardening.
Around the time Europeans showed up here, the practice was lost.
“It was stolen from us,” said Swinomish Tribal Senator Alana Quintasket. “All of our teachings, all of our practices, our connections to this place, our connections to each other, our connections to all living things was stolen from us with settler colonialism.”
Quintasket stood in the mud where Skagit Bay becomes Kiket Island.
“We’re working hard to restore these practices, to bring back these teachings, and to restore our relationships,” she said.
That’s how it was meant to be — and how it used to be.
Since time immemorial, as the saying goes, people in what is now Washington and British Columbia farmed the sea with a type of environmental engineering called clam gardening.
Around the time Europeans showed up here, the practice was lost.
“It was stolen from us,” said Swinomish Tribal Senator Alana Quintasket. “All of our teachings, all of our practices, our connections to this place, our connections to each other, our connections to all living things was stolen from us with settler colonialism.”
Quintasket stood in the mud where Skagit Bay becomes Kiket Island.
“We’re working hard to restore these practices, to bring back these teachings, and to restore our relationships,” she said.
Swinomish Tribe builds US’s first modern ‘clam garden,' reviving ancient practice
Posted from kuow.org
Native Americans
State of Washington
British Columbia
Environment
Tradition
Posted 8 mo ago
Responses: 1
1
1
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."It's much more than just moving rocks and building a wall. This is bringing back who we are as Coast Salish people, as Indigenous people to this place,” Quintasket said.
Quintasket says one of the biggest benefits of the muddy manual labor has been getting to work with tribal relatives from the other side of that saltwater border.
“It's brought nations together that haven't been brought together in generations, you know?” she said.
Some walls divide communities. This one is bringing them together."
..."It's much more than just moving rocks and building a wall. This is bringing back who we are as Coast Salish people, as Indigenous people to this place,” Quintasket said.
Quintasket says one of the biggest benefits of the muddy manual labor has been getting to work with tribal relatives from the other side of that saltwater border.
“It's brought nations together that haven't been brought together in generations, you know?” she said.
Some walls divide communities. This one is bringing them together."
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google