Dominique's Staff Picks!

1. Red Elderberry ȾIWEKIȽĆ

O,MET SEN HIU ET ȾIWEKIȽĆ

ȻIL E TŦE ŦÁŦKI ET SPÁKEṈ E TŦE ĆENŦEḴI ȽḴÁLJ. ÍY SIȽENS E TŦE ȾÁȾEW̱EṈ I NEȻIM SEȽTEṈEN.

Translation:

I’m sitting in front of the Red Elderberry.

Flowering usually occurs in May to June, and approximately one month later clusters of red berries will form. The red berries are edible when cooked, but the Blue Elderberry is more palatable and more commonly eaten. The two types of berries can be mixed together to make jelly, jam, or wine.

2. Stinging Nettle NIȽ E TŦE ȾEX̱ȾEX̱  

ENÁN U ÍY SDÁLṈEW̱ I ÍY SIȽENS

E TŦE SȾOȾȽE I TŦE ȻEMLEW̱. ȾEX̱ȾEX̱ Ć,SE LÁ,E MEQ EX̱IN E TŦE MEQ ṮEṮÁĆES ÁȽE E ȽÁ,E W̱SÁNEĆ TEṈEW̱.

Translation:

Here is the Stinging Nettle, it is very good medicine and good food from the leaflets and roots. The rootstock is also a fibre that is used to make fish nets and reef nets. Stinging Nettle is a flowering plant that grows in patches throughout the Gulf Islands, San Juan Islands and Saanich Territories. It is used in many ways as food, medicine and teas. Nettle leaves or young shoots are best collected and dried near in PENÁW̱EṈ May.

 3. Barestem Desert- parsley KEXMIN

NIȽ E TŦE ÍY XÁXE KEXMIN SDÁLṈEW̱ ĆSE LÁ,E EṮ W̱SÁNEĆ. ĆOȻES E TŦE ȻEMLEW̱ SW̱ TŦE SDÁLṈEW̱ EN QOMQEMSET ŚḰÁLEȻENS.

 Translation: 

The KEXMIN plant is powerful and good medicine of the W̱SÁNEĆ people. The seeds are chewed and the juice is swallowed for colds and sore throats as well strengthening your inner feelings. The seeds can be boiled in water to make tea and sometimes breathing in the smell of burning seeds can help with curing headaches. People have many ceremonial uses relating to protection of people at times of illness and death.

4. Salmonberry ELILE,IȽĆ 

NI QENNET.. TÁĆELṈONET E TŦE S ̧EȽTENEṈ ET ELILE ÍY S,IȽENS TIÁ

Translation:

Check it out, the berries of the salmonberry have arrived (May 25th)!

Salmonberries vary in color from NENELḰXELIḰ (dark red), NELPW̱IḰ (light orange),  golden ripe, to NENELPW̱IḰ (red), and sometimes even dark ruby. They grow in the understory of moist forests. Salmonberry are generally eaten fresh and raw by people, bears, and birds - they provide for many. ELILE are considered too juicy to dry into cakes and muffins. Swainson’s Thrush is widely known as the Salmonberry bird, it's called W̱EW̱ELEŚ in the SENĆOŦEN language by the W̱SÁNEĆ Saanich people.

 5. June Plum NIȽ E TŦE ȾEX̱EN¸IȽĆ 

NIȽ E TŦE ȾEX̱EN¸IȽĆ june plum TÁĆEL E TŦE SEȽTEṈEN

Translation:

This is the June plum, the fruit has arrived (June 5th).

June plum is one of the first species to bloom in the spring, it has both male and female flowers on separate bushes. The berries form in late June or early July, they appear in small clusters, and turn a dark plum color when ripe. The seed of the fruit is quite large with only a thin line of flesh surrounding it. The bark of the shrub is a good medicine for diarrhea, it is done by boiling the stems and then drinking to “clean everything out”.

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