When the Frogs Sing, are Not Good To Eat— Painting The Mothers Roots curriculum guide is created for empowering + healing: Indigenous mothers + daughters

Objectives Key words: identify clam species in the Lushootseed language Identify clam species by collecting a variety of shells on the beach Species paint clams using the Coast Salish design elements using primary colors Harvest eat clams Shell Mideon Each student is discussion about this Nearshore Activity required to collect all species. Talk about Environment four clam shells that characteristics of the Intertidal zone Process were discussed prior clam including the Step 1: Introduce to field trip. Wash lines, ridges, umbo, Clam species students to the four clam shells with mild hinge, size, color, and types of clams soap, water, and another characteristic. harvested by Coast toothbrush and leave When they start Salish people for food: to air dry. painting use this time horse, , Step 3: Set up tables to assess what they steamers, & butter. have learned. Have a display of with primary paint clams in various sizes. colors, paint trays, Step 5. Explain that This way the students paintbrushes, rinse they need to give their are able to identify the water, pencils, first painted clam to specimens on the stencils, and a copy of an elder and ask for a beach. Explain to the “Coast Salish story related to clams. Design Elements” children about shell Step 6. Ask each handout to each mideon sites and how student to share their student. Introduce the to be respectful. Teach stories or write them design elements and the Lushootseed word in the journals. for each clam and use what they mean. Step 7: Host a those words to Show examples of clambake on the identify the species different Coast Salish beach (Activity 2) throughout the unit. designed art. Step 2: Take a field Step 4. Ask each trip to the beach in student to work on your area with a the same clam species variety of clam shells. in order to have a Page 2 Mothers Roots

Story of Clams

“The Old Indians say “DURING THE MOON of “The Lummi Indians and built a fire the Salmon Return, Star- gathered four varieties length of the pit with light and her people, of clams: the cockle dry alder wood. Star- “When the frogs the Lummi tribe, pre- clam, the horse clam, light stuck the shelled pared to leave the the steamer clam, and clams on pointed Iron- sing, clams are not sockeye fishing the butter clam. The wood sticks and put grounds. They traveled cockle clam was gath- them on racks over the by dugout rafts to the ered to eat fresh. They fire to smoke. When good to eat.” clam bed on Orcas Is- also smoked them for they were dry she land. They made a tem- the Moon of Winter. packed them in cedar porary camp until They gathered them in storage baskets for the enough clams were the sand bars where it cold moon. gathered to eat fresh was easy to dig. “The steamer clams and to smoke for the “Starlight dug a large were gathered and eat- Moon of Winter. hole in the beach and en fresh. Starlight nev- “High Cloud and his placed rocks in the mid- er stored them for the men dug the clams dle of the hole. She cold months. The when a large amount started a fire with dry butter clams were also was needed. Starlight alder wood. When the eaten fresh. The butter and the Indian women rocks were hot, she clams were prepared in gathered the clams cleaned the ashes away the same way as the when a small amount from them. She piled cockle clams. Starlight was wanted for eating. the cockle clams on the often exchanged clams They dug the clams hot rocks and covered for hides and basket with a strong ironwood them with seaweed. grass. stick. The steam from the hot “The Old Indians say, “Chief Chow-It-hoot rocks cooked the clams “When the frogs sing, marked the clam beds and opened the hard clams are not good to that were to be dug shells. eat.” “it is true, just as I each season. They dug “The large horse clam am telling you, “ said each bed in turn, until sometimes weighed Grandmother. all had been dug. They one pound. They Lummi Indian how sto- repeated this method worked themselves ries ,Beck, E., & Micheals, each season. When down into the sand Elizabeth Sykes. (1955). they gathered the quickly. The men had Lummi Indian how sto- clams from the first bed to dig fast in order to ries. Caldwell, Idaho: again, they had grown get them. The Indian The Caxton Printers. to a usable size. women dug long pits Page 3

sʔaxʷ̌ uʔ - Clams “They are also Clams are part and keep algae of the mollusk populations under carbon-fixers, group, similar control. to many They are also carbon- helping to reduce shellfish fixers, helping to including reduce carbon dioxide carbon dioxide , levels in the water by and removing the carbon levels in the water . They and incorporating are called bivalves predation or poor calcium carbonate into by removing the because they have two water quality by doing their shells as they shells (or valves). These this for several days. grow. Water carbon and two shells are attached However, they will die temperature is seen as by the muscular hinge if their valve or shell a jey factor influencing incorporating called the adductor remains closed for too growth and muscle protecting a long. reproduction causing calcium carbonate soft body inside. Clams are filter feeders, the clam to produce Clams burrow under filtering up to 50 different sized rings into their shells as the sea floor using their gallons of water a day. and ridges on their foot, helping them They use their tube-like shells like tree rings. they grow. “ move and hide. When siphon to draw water Christmas Clams: threatened, most clams in, extracting oxygen History of Lone Tree will pull their siphon and filtering plankton Point By Theresa L. into their shell and (tiny plant-like Trebon. (2012) close tightly for organisms they eat). protection. They can This filtering helps survive stresses such as improve water quality

Swinomish & Clams

During the Moon of Whistling Robin, Dog Salmon, and Sacred Times, the Swinomish people harvested four types of clams; cockle, horse, steamers, and butters. Clam digging sticks were made from Ironwood. Steamers were eaten fresh. Horse, cockle, and butter clams were cooked in a pit, by shuck- ing and stringing the meat on cedar bark ropes, and smoking. Clams were collected and stored in a split cedar root clam baskets. Page 4 Mothers Roots

sʔax̆ ʷuʔ Clams found at Swinomish – Clams Butter clams - stxʷub clam reaching lengths foot can be used in pronounced (suhw- of 2” to 4”, and living as remarkable thrusting Stxʷub OOB) in Lushootseed long as 14 years. motion, pole vault and commonly called Manilla clams are also style, to escape from its enemies. – Butter clams hard shells. The butter referred to as steamers clams shell are oval and due to their similar size sx̌ aʔaʔ etched with many and shape to native Horse Clams concentric lines littlenecks. They have haʔəc – Native little neck centered at the hinge. no native name, as pronounced (HA-uc) in Manilla were accidently or steamer This species has been Lushootseed. Horse or known to live for more gapper clams are very sx̌ əp̓ ab than 20 years, growing large with an elliptical to 6” to 8” in length shape, more wide and – Cockle Clam and can burrow down rounded on one end. into the sand over a Horse clams may reach haʔəc foot deep! sizes of 8’ to 10’ in introduced from length. These clams are Japanese seed in – Horse Clams noted for the 1930’s. Manilas are hiʔhaʔəc – oblong with both sporadically spurting radiating and jets of water almost Softshell Clams concentric ridges on three feet into the air. the external surface. “My Grandmother and

Grandfather used to Native littlenecks Cockle sxə̌ p̓ab sxǎ ʔaʔ pronounced pronounced (shu-PAB). cook ducks, salmon, (SHA - a) or rock clam Cockles have shells that or small butter clam in are roughly oval with a Shoftshell Clams clams, and oysters.” the past. Their current common name is hiʔhaʔəc Joseph Mcoy, Suday, steamer for the pronounced (HEE-ha-c) widespread practice of Swinomish Elder, Our have very soft shells up preparing these clams to 2” -4” in length and Ways , Testimonies of the by steaming. The native are slightly elongated littleneck has oval heart shaped cross with many concentric Swinomish Way of Life shells with both section and prominent rings. The “eastern” radiating and radiating ribs. Cockles softshell clam was concentric raised lines. may reach sizes of 4” to introduced in the late This is a fast growing 5” in length. Its long 1800’s from the Page 5

“When the tide is out, the table is set.” Larry Campbell, wanaseum,, Swinomish Elder, Our Ways , Testimonies of the byssal threads. Mussels Atlantic. This clam the 1900’s and is usually form large dense burrows by shooting rapidly spreading colonies and can filter large water out to assist the throughout the west amounts of water, which is use of its foot. coast. The thin round important for cleaning the shells have a distinctive water. rich purple interior with Christmas Clams: History of a brown covering that peels off. They are

found in the upper Bent-nose Clam beach in high densities Bent—nose and reach sizes up to tulqʷ – Clams—ťilus 3”. pronounced (TI-lus). Blue or Bay

Bent –nose clams are Mussels small, 1” to 3”, and Blue or Bay easily identified by noting one end of the Mussels—tulqʷ valves are bent or pronounced (tolkw). hooked to one side. They are characterized This bend increases by their smooth shell with size and age of the clam and is always to and dark blue color and the right. usually 2” - 4” long. They are related to

clams but unlike clams, The purple varnish mussels live attached clam was introduced to hard structures like from the ballast water piers or rocks with their of ships from Asia in tough stringy beards or Page 6 Mothers Roots Page 7

Clam soup and frybread recipe

Place the clams in boil. Lower heat and the bottom of a very simmer for 1 hour, large, deep kettle. or until the potatoes Add 3 of the , are tender. Serve 3 of the ears of hot.

“Recognizing the CLAM SOUP connection of the (serves 6) 2 dozen fresh environmental clams, in the conditions to the shell, cleaned 3 dozen fresh traditional ways of mussels, in a shell, cleaned eating.” Six 1 - 2 Joseph Mcoy, Suday, pounds fresh corn, onion, then Frybread recipe Swinomish Elder, Our 6 ears of corn, in the 3 remaining ears of corn and the 6 cups flour Ways , Testimonies of the the husk 3 remaining crabs. 1 packet yeast Swinomish Way of Life 6 medium potatoes, Place the mussels ¾ cup sugar unpeeled and clams in and 1 chopped onion around the other 1 cup powdered foods. Pour in the milk 2 quarts water water. Cover the kettle and bring to a Page 8 Mothers Roots

Clam recipes (continued)

 2 dozen fresh  2 cups light cream minutes, until tender. Place or milk, or 2 cups BAKED CLAMS (OR clams, in the shell, the mussels on the half cleaned stewed tomatoes shell in a flat pan, pour the Oysters) ON THE broth over them, and  2 quarts water  2 cups diced celery HALF SHELL sprinkle with the garlic and  Freshly opened  2 whole scallions Garnish: ground pepper cornmeal. Top with the and chopped chives to parsley or sea lettuce. clams or oysters on Place the oysters in the taste Sprinkle oil over all. Broil half shell bottom of the very until lightly browned.  Cornmeal large, deep kettle. Add Sauté the onions and 3 of the crabs, 3 of the garlic in the butter in a STEAMED MUSSELS OR  Oil ears of corn, the 6 deep kettle until SOUP  Ground pepper potatoes, then the golden. Add the remaining ears of corn remaining ingredients  2 quarts mussels, in the  Chopped parsley and the remaining crab. and simmer slowly until shell, scrubbed well  Chopped sea the potatoes are Place the mussels and  1 quart boiling water lettuce clams in and around tender—about 30  1/2 pound butter Place the clams (or the foods. Pour in the minutes. Serve hot., garnished with pepper oysters) in their half water, and place the  1 cup chopped parsley shells in a baking dish. scallions on top. Cover and chives. Oyster or  1/2 cup chopped leaks Sprinkle with a mixture the kettle and bring to mussels may be (including tops) of the remaining a boil. Lower heat and substituted for the ingredients. Bake in a simmer for 1 hour, or clams.  1 cup cider vinegar until the potatoes are preheated 325 degrees BOILED MUSSELS Place all ingredients in a oven for 20 minutes, or tender. Serve hot. (serves 4 ) heavy pot and cover with until golden. Serve hot. CLAM boiling water. Cover and  4 dozen mussels, in CLAMBAKE (serves 6) (serves 6 to 8) steam until the mussels are the shell, scrubbed fully opened—about 10  1 large onion,  2 dozen fresh well minutes. (overcooking will oysters, in the shell, chopped  2 cups boiling water make the mussels tough cleaned  2 large cloves garlic, and less flavorful.) crushed  2 cups mussel broth  Six 1 to 1.5 pounds Serve hot in bowls with its fresh crab  1/4 pound butter  1 clove garlic, own buttered broth, chopped  6 ears corn, in the  2 dozen clams, seasoned with ground husk steamed, shucked,  1 cup fine cornmeal pepper and chopped fresh parsley.  6 medium potatoes, and diced  1/4 cup chopped unpeeled  2 large unpeeled fresh parsley or sea lettuce  3 dozen fresh potatoes, diced mussels, in the  2 cups clam broth  1/2 cup oil shell, cleaned Steam the mussels in the water for 10