Huckleberries are culturally important food. Tribes say it isn't treated like one
Huckleberries appear in any number of Northwest products like ice cream, syrups, jams, teas, pies, tinctures, and vodka, but they are incredibly difficult to grow on farms.
Instead, huckleberries grow at high elevations in fields, and are found mostly in forests that have recently burned.
Native people have been picking huckleberries for generations and huckleberry harvests in the mountains are one of the major food gathering events for Tribes.
But many say a combination of federal forest management practices and commercial picking operations infringe on their treaty rights.
Guests:
- Josephine Woolington, writer based in Portland
- Elaine Harvey, Ḱamíłpa band member, one of the 14 bands that comprise the Yakama Nation
Relevant Links:
- High Country News: The True Cost of the Huckleberry Industry
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Libby Denkmann
Host, Soundside
Libby Denkmann joined KUOW in December 2021 as the host of the midday show Soundside. She’s a native Pacific Northwesterner who grew up in Redmond, graduated from the University of Washington, and covered local news as a producer and reporter with KIRO Radio.
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Hans Anderson
Producer, Soundside
Hans Anderson is a producer on KUOW’s Soundside, where he covers a diverse range of topics from conflicts over how to use busy streets to how the open spaces of the Palouse inspire modern musical compositions. He primarily produces segments about politics, arts and transportation.
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