Food

Most people ate fish as their main food. They also hunted deer, bear and other animals. Plants were also really vital. They were used for food and as material for clothing, shelter, containers, watercraft and many tools.

For thousands of years, the Pacific Ocean provided the Coast Salish people with food. The climate rarely gets very warm or very cold. There is an abundance of natural resources especially fish, forests and minerals.

Salmon was the main source of food for most communities. Salmon is a valuable resource because the fish return to the same rivers to lay their eggs at the same time each year. So Coast Salish peoples always knew when and where to find food. 

Salmon, including pink, coho, sockeye, spring, and chum, is the main food source for the people of the river and is central to their economy. As only a small portion of the salmon catch is cooked fresh, a majority of the salmon caught is preserved by wind-drying, salting or smoking to provide a resource that can be consumed throughout the year. Wind-dried Salmon can last up to two years. 

The Coast Salish peoples have been well known as hunters and gatherers. Everyone in the village would be a part of the food gathering and preparation. Most people ate fish as their main food, often salmon. They also hunted deer, bear and other animals. Plants were also really vital. They were used for food and as material for clothing, shelter, containers, watercraft and many tools.

Other items on the menu include deer, moose, oolichans, clams, crab, and berries. The food collected over the summer was shared amongst the village members. Hunting and fishing is still a common practice among many of the First Nations.

Berries were a big part of the Coast Salish diet—salmonberries, thimbleberries, huckleberries, salal berries, and more. They were enjoyed fresh or dried in the sun or on cedar bark over a fire. Some were even. These ones could be stored for months.

Plants were sources of vitamins and minerals. Arrowhead (Wapato) grew in marshes, its had an egg-size bulb which was nutritious and sweet. Nettle leaves were used in soup or tea. Dandelion root could be taken raw or boiled.

Coast Salish tribes ate clams in great quantities. Women gathered them in open-weave baskets tied to their backs. Clams were smoked or strung on cords to dry. This way they could be kept to eat in winter and sold as local  trade. Fish were speared or caught in nettle-fiber nets.