One of the greatest delicacies of the Northwest Native American diet was the oil of the tiny eulachon fish.
Native American fishermen placed their eulachon catch in large covered pits for several days. They then boiled the fish and scooped up the oil that collected on the surface.
Used to season dried fish, fruits, and berries, the oil was stored in special wooden bowls that were often carved with beautiful designs. Some bowls, now in museums, were so saturated that they still ooze oil even though they have not been used for more than 100 years.
Eulachon were also known as candlefish because Native Americans used these oily fish as torches. Once lit, a dried eulachon could burn like a candle for hours.
Related Posts
-
Why was contact with non-Native Americans good for Northwest Native Americans?
At first, Native Americans welcomed non-Native Americans into their lands. They liked the new goods traders offered, and traders, eager just to do business, did not try to hurt them, change their ways,…
-
When did Northwest Native Americans first meet non-Native Americans?
In the late eighteenth century, non-Native Americans from Europe and Russia began to travel the sea to the Northwest Coast. The first were explorers, but soon they were followed by traders. These businessmen…
-
What types of foods did Northwest Native Americans eat and How did they catch fish?
Some Northwest Native Americans hunted deer and elk or gathered wild fruits and berries. But by far, most of their food came from the ocean and rivers, which were brimming with fish and…
-
Why were Winter Ceremonials performed by Northwest Native Americans?
In the spring and summer, most Northwest Native Americans could catch and preserve enough fish to feed them throughout the rest of the year. This left groups such as the Kwakiutl, Bella Bella,…
-
What kind of environment was the Northwest and How were cedar trees used by Native Americans?
The Native Americans of the Northwest Coast lived in one of the most comfortable environments in North America. The winters were never very cold, and the summers were never hot. Although it rained…
-
What type of houses did Northwest Native Americans build?
In the Northwest, great forests of cedar trees provided Native Americans with an ideal building material. The trunks of these trees could be easily split into planks as long as 40 feet. Using…
