West Vancouver’s Harmony Arts Festival to host Indigenous feast
This year, West Vancouver’s Harmony Arts Festival, now in its 28th year, includes an Indigenous feast at the oceanside setting at Ambleside Landing.
“It’s an opportunity to share foods our ancestors taught us to enjoy,” said Latash Maurice Nahanee, Indigenous showcase coordinator.
“The waters off Ambleside Beach provided a rich environment for fish and we harvested salmon, halibut and oysters to mention but a few.”
Nahanee, a member of the Squamish Nation, said food is seen in his culture as a gift from their Creator.
“Most of our ceremonies begin with a meal. The food is blessed so when we eat it, our bodies and spirits are nourished. We also ‘burn’ food to feed our loved ones when they depart from this world.”
The Squamish Nation often refer to themselves as the Salmon People, he said.
“We feel a deep sense of gratitude to salmon. There is nothing random about our world and the gifts are here for us to enjoy.”
The feast, of course, will include salmon. The food will be prepared by Salmon N’ Bannock, an Indigenous restaurant in Vancouver, and the menu offers bannock, traditional barbecued sockeye salmon, poached halibut, steamed clams, smoked oolichans in a blanket, bison ribs, corn on the cob, three sister salad, dessert and beverages.
Following tradition, the feast includes a blessing, song and dance.
“We are fortunate to have elders who learned the culture first-hand from our ancestors. In spite of colonialism and the residential school system, our culture survives.”
Nahanee said wild Indigenous foods have always been healthy.
“My parents taught me to hunt and fish. We preserved foods and learned to cook. Wild animals do not need our help and yet they help us. The animals do not expect to be thanked. The least we can do is be grateful for the abundance from the Creator.”
The feast, $90, is on Tuesday, Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. Go to harmonyarts. ca for tickets or more information about other food and drink events at the Harmony Arts Festival (Aug. 3 to 12).