Nuu-chah-nulth Nations Launch Seafood Cookbook

PORT ALBERNI–The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and sixteen Nuu-chah-nulth Nations are pleased to announce the publication of ?amus: West Coast Cooking Nuu-chah-nulth Style. The 90-page cookbook, complete with colour photographs and illustrations, focuses on traditional recipes and seasonal ingredients from the west coast of Vancouver Island and Northern Washington. Marrying First Nations cuisine with cooking tips, cultural observations, and oral history anecdotes, ?amus (chum-us) features traditional and wild ingredients for a mouth-watering read.

“Since time immemorial, Nuu-chah-nulth people have relied on our surroundings for sustenance. It is through this relationship that we have defined our culture, nutritional needs, genetic make-up, and economies,” said Huu-ay-aht Ha’wilth (Hereditary Chief), Tom Happynook.

Instructions about the traditional preparation of wild foods, including fish, kelp, berries, and fowl are interspersed with recipes for the modern kitchen. Bringing together the wisdom of the elders with the culinary artistry of the West Coast’s unique tastes, ?amus explores the art of how to butterfly a salmon and how to can fish, as well as delectable recipes for marinated seaweed, steam pit cooking, and Nuu-chah-nulth upskwee.

“?amus not only brings fabulous recipes into our homes, it also gives the reader photographs and information to remind us of the important benefits of eating customary foods,” Happynook said.
Wholeheartedly endorsed by the Nuu-chah-nulth Council of Ha’wiih (Hereditary Chiefs), ?amus illuminates a traditional way of eating while promoting a healthy lifestyle. Living examples of the tenets espoused by the slow food movement, which has grown to include 80,000 members in over 100 countries, the First Nations of Vancouver Island’s west coast and northern Washington link family and community in their respectful treatment of their territories’ freshest ingredients.

For more information about ?amus: West Coast Cooking Nuu-chah-nulth Style, or to arrange an interview, please contact Dawn Foxcroft at 250-723-6565 or whiteravenconsulting@shaw.ca. To learn more about the book, please visit http://www.uuathluk.ca/cookbook.html. All proceeds go to youth capacity building projects for the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council fisheries department (Uu-a-thluk).