Elwha Watershed Information Resource

Many people believe that traditional foods serve as medicine. Various tribes are currently working together (through a Northwest Indian College Diabetes Prevention Through Traditional Foods program) to bring back to their local communities the knowledge and medicine that accompany gathering and eating traditional foods.

Traditional food is an important part of the Tribe’s potlatches, which are tribal celebrations where one or more tribes gather to share food, song, dance, and friendship. Salmon is always eaten at a potlatch. Game that is in season (elk, deer, shellfish) is also eaten at potlatches. Potlaches can last hours--sometimes even days, and can be held for many occasions. For example, after the annual canoe journey is complete, all of the tribes come together for a giant potlatch.  Another reason for hosting a potlatch is a naming ceremony, where an individual could have a potlatch for their Indian name. Everyone in the community would be invited. A potlatch is simply a celebration. Anyone in the community can hold their own potlatch.

There is almost ALWAYS an Elders table at a potlatch. At funerals or family events, there are family tables as well. It is custom for the tribe to serve their Elders first. At an Elwha Tribal potlatch, the speaker usually asks the young people to come up and serve the Elders. A young person will come up and usually grab two plates, and put various foods on the plates, and go around and serve them to Elders until there are no more Elders left to serve. Usually when the food is served, a line forms, but the servers are always allowed to cut in line while they are serving the Elders.

On a more local note, the Lower Elwha tribe hosts the annual School District Potlatch. This event was established by Rena Francis in 1997 after seeing evidence of some racial tension between the Native students and other students and teachers. This potlatch was developed as a way for the teachers and other students to begin to share a better understanding of the Native youth. The Elwha Dance Group, which consists of many of the students, shares tribal dances at the School District Potlatch. 

Elwha Warrior Queen Rena Francis dances with Stevens Middle School's Laura Lilly at the Port Angeles School District Potlatch in 2006. The potlatch is dedicated to sharing the Native culture with the teachers of the Port Angeles School District.

Potlatches are held between tribes also.  When the Makah Tribe caught their whale, they invited all of the tribes to celebrate with them, and Tribal Journeys is a huge potlatch that invites all tribes. The host of the potlatch can invite anyone they want. The host also provides the food.

Potlaches can last hours, sometimes even days, so food is very important to the potlatch. To many tourists' surprise, food at a potlatch is given, not sold. One may be very tired for sitting for hours at a potlatch, and that sandwich and bag of chips just gave them another five hours.