Berry Picking

Summer Unit

The goal of the summer unit is to remind and teach families about the importance of seasonal activities and harvesting.

swədaʔx̌ – Huckleberries

tatačulbixʷ – Large animals

sbadil – Mountain

ʔəɬəd – Eat

leʔibəš – Walking

ʔuləx̌əd – To gather from nature

t̕igʷicid – Thank you

swatixʷtəd – Land

t̕iwiɬ – Pray

t̕ilib – Sing

ɬucə̓bəbiluɬ čəɬ – We will go out berry picking.

ʔəɬəd čəxʷ ʔu ʔə ti swədaʔx̌ – Do you eat huckleberries?

ʔəsx̌aƛ̕txʷ čəx̌ʷ ʔu – Do you like it?

haʔɬ ʔu – Is it good?

ʔəsʔəx̌idalus – What color is it?

kay̓kay̓alus – Blue

t̕aqahalus – Purple

ʔi – Yes

xʷiʔ – No

Berry Picking
1. Pack appropriate materials for a long period of time in the sbabadil (mountains), such as water, snacks, buckets for picking swədax̌ʔ(huckleberries), wipes/toilet paper, a blanket for sitting, and an offering (such as cedar, tobacco, or sage) for the swatixʷtəd (land).
2. The berry picking area is in the sbabadil (mountains), so be sure to have vehicle that is safe to travel on dirt/gravel roads with high incline. Explain to the younger children that you are traveling to ɬuc̓əbəbiluɬ čəɬ (We will go out berry picking).
3. Say a st̕iwiɬ (prayer) and give an offering (such as cedar, tobacco or sage) to the swatixʷtəd (land) and t̕igʷid (thank) the swatixʷtəd (land) before you start ʔuləxə̌ d (harvesting) berries. A small prayer to the land could be: ʔut̕igʷid čəɬ ti swatixʷtəd dxʷʔal ti swədaʔx.̌
4. Sing cə̓bəbiluɬ st̕ilib (berry picking song) here while picking the berries.
This time would be great to incorporate Lushootseed:

• ɬuc̓əbəbiluɬ čəɬ - We will go out berry picking.
• ʔəɬəd čəxʷ ʔu ti swədaʔx ̌- Do you eat huckleberries?
• ʔəsxǎ ƛ̕txʷ čəxʷ̌ ʔu – Do you like it?
• haʔɬ ʔu – Is it good?
• ʔəsʔəxǐ dalus – What color is it?

5. Take breaks for water and food as needed.
6. After harvesting, thank the land again (t̕igʷicid swatixʷtəd) and take berries home to wash and store for later use.

Family and intergenerational learning

For this activity, the huckleberries will be high up in the mountain and will require some small amounts of hiking, weather will most likely be warm as well so be prepared. If you have small children, bringing a carrier backpack is a good option. If you have family members that are not physically able to pick berries, they may be able to sit and watch as you pick berries and could help sing the berry picking song. If you have family that is not able to travel up the mountain, include them in the processing of the berries. Ask elders in your family about any stories or songs they might know that includes berry or berry picking.

 Local Place Connections

This activity connects us with the territories that our ancestors used to travel to harvest, although we were allotted land only within our assigned reservation, the Tulalip Tribes bought the mountain in which we will be harvesting from. (See map for directions.)

 huyadadčəɫ:

What you preserve and gather in the summer, is what you will be eating in the winter.

Our people lived of the land with good relation to it before colonization. It is important to remember our ancestors and their ways of life before colonization, we should try each and every day to incorporate their teachings and traditions into our own lives.

Beach Walk

Summer Unit

The goal of the summer unit is to remind and teach families about the importance of seasonal activities and harvesting.

stab tiʔəʔ – What is this?

stab čəxʷ ʔəsšudxʷ – What do you see?

ʔəsšudxʷ čəd ti _____ – I see ______.

ɬuʔux̌ʷ čəɬ dxʷʔal ti ʔilgʷiɬ – We are going to the beach.

ʔugʷəč̓əd – To search for something

ʔilgʷiɬ – Beach

sʔax̌ʷuʔ – Clam

sʔuladxʷ – Fish/salmon

tulqʷ – Mussel

bəsqʷ – Crab

sup̓qs – Seal

k̓aʔk̓aʔ - Crow

qal̕qaləx̌ič – Killer whale

qʷistalb - Sand

č̓ƛ̕aʔ - Rock

x̌ʷəlč – Ocean

č̓əsč̓əsəliʔ - Hat Island

č̓ƛ̕aʔqs – Rock Point/Priest Point

x̌ʷuyšəd – Camano Head

Activity Instructions
1. Check weather and pack appropriately based on the weather, including water/snacks, shovels, buckets, chairs, beach towels/blankets.
2. Be sure to check water (xʷ̌ əlč) quality and beach (ʔilgʷiɬ) warning to be informed around any safety such as red tide.
3. Find (gʷəčə̓ d) a beach (ʔilgʷiɬ) along the Tulalip Bay to visit (Mission Beach, Kayak, etc.)
4. While at the beach, take a walk and encourage all family members to share their observations of the different places we see (ʔəsšudxʷ) from the beach and the sea animals (sʔuladxʷ, čəxʷəluʔ, sup̓qs, k̓aʔk̓aʔ) and shellfish (sʔax̌ʷuʔ, bəsqʷ, tulqʷ) who are there.
5. As you make and share observations, practice your Lushootseed. Asking relatives stab čəxʷ ʔəsšudxʷ is an opportunity to build our conversation with simple responses like ʔəsšudxʷ čəd ti ____ where we can practice our beach vocabulary.

Family and intergenerational learning

The beach is a great place for families to join and gather together. Our families in Tulalip have always lived and gathered at the beach during summer time. Some beaches have access with parking that can be easier when elders or family with mobility challenges join, keep that in mind when choosing your location.

 Local Place Connections

Tulalip Reservation has a number of beaches for families to enjoy, as we have always done. Consider visiting the marina, Mission Beach, Hermosa Beach, Tulare Beach, sbiʔbədaʔ, Kayak, Priest Point Beach, or other family waterfront areas. Talk with your family, friends and other tribal citizens if you have questions about beach access and permissions.

huyadadčəɫ:

What you preserve and gather in the summer, is what you will be eating in the winter. People in Tulalip traditionally lived at the beach during the summer because of the closeness to fishing, clam digging, and summer harvesting locations. The summer conditions allowed for us to stay near the water before moving inland as winter approached.

Cedar Oil

Summer Unit

The goal of the summer unit is to remind and teach families about the importance of seasonal activities and harvesting.

ʔuləx̌əd – Gather from nature

x̌payʔac – Cedar tree

stidgʷəd – Cedar bough

st̕əlǰixʷ - Medicine

ʔəst̕igʷid – Thankful

ɬuʔuləx̌əd čəɬ – We will go harvesting.

ʔəsʔəx̌idalus tiʔəʔ – What color is this?

č̓uɬəyʔalus tiʔəʔ – It is green.

stab tiʔəʔ – What is this?

stab čəxʷ ʔəsšudxʷ – What do you see?

Making Cedar Oil
1. Check your yard for any xp̌ ayʔac (cedar tree), if you have one at your house, you can use that. If not, take a drive or a walk and see if you can identify a cedar tree to ʔuləxə̌ d (harvest from nature).
2. Once you have found a x̌payʔac (cedar tree) appropriate to harvest from (must have bright green cedar tips), say a prayer to the cedar tree and thank the tree (t̕igʷicid x̌payʔac) before beginning to harvest.
3. Once the cedar tree has been thanked, you may ʔuləxə̌ d (harvest) the stidgʷəd (cedar tips) by cutting or pulling of the bright green tips from the tree. Make sure you do not over harvest in one area, take a little bit from different areas. Gather enough cedar tips to fill a mason jar. This is a great time to incorporate Lushootseed:
• ʔəsʔəxǐ dalus tiʔəʔ – What color is this?
• ču̓ ɬəyʔalus tiʔəʔ – It is green
• stab tiʔəʔ - What is this?
• stab čəxʷ ʔəsšudxʷ - What do you see?
4. After you have finished harvesting, thank the cedar tree (t̕igʷicid xp̌ ayʔac) again and make sure to lay out the cedar tips on a flat surface in a dry area for a few days. Make sure they are not holding any moisture before putting them into the mason jar.
5. Fill the mason jar close to the top of the jar (bəčad čəxʷ ti stidgʷəd ʔal ti spəčuʔ) with the stidgʷəd (cedar tips), without pushing down to condense the contents.
6. After filling the jar with cedar tips, fill the jar up with extra virgin olive oil to the top of the jar, tap the jar on the table or counter to settle the contents to ensure you don’t need to add more oil.
7. Close, label and date jars.
8. Place jars in a window with sunlight and leave for 6-8 weeks with occasional shaking while speaking good intentions into your st̕əlǰixʷ (medicine).
• day ̓ čəxʷ ɬust̕əlǰixʷ - You will be good medicine
• ɬugʷəhəliʔtxʷ čəxʷ ti ʔaciɬtalbixʷ - You will heal the people