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VIDEO: Fort Rodd Hill hosts Coast Salish pit cook in Colwood

Songhees Nation showcase traditional food, dance, art

Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard National Historic Sites hosted a Coast Salish Pit Cook Saturday.

The pit cook was made possible after an acre of Garry Oak Meadow was restored at Ford Rodd Hill to plants and harvest native plants.

RELATED: Coast Salish cooking comes to Ft. Rodd Hill

There plenty of traditional Coast Salish food, and Cheryl Bryce, from the Songhees First Nation, learned the art of the pit cook as a child.

The process for a pit cook is quite lengthy. First a hole is dug, stones are put in the bottom and a wood fire is started on top of the stones to heat them up. Once they are hot, the wood is taken out, a mat is placed on the stones and a burlap sack containing the food is placed on the mat. The hole is then covered over with dirt and tarps to keep the heat in.

People enjoyed other vendors, carving demonstrations, workshops, presentations by Bryce and elders from the Songhees Nation, and performances by the Lekwungen Traditional Dancers throughout the day.


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lindsey.horsting@goldstreamgazette.com