July 2013
Volume 47 Issue 7
swədəbš qyuuqs News Swinomish Graduates Four with Four-year Degrees!
pedGedbix (pud-gwudBEE-hw) Moon of the Blackberry
“Much of July is ‘the moon of blackberry.’ Many berries are now ripe, including blackberries. Berries are picked and eaten fresh or dried for winter use. Around this time and sometimes earlier, the sap in cedar trees stops running, signaling the time to harvest cedar bark. Cedar bark has many uses, providing materials for shelter, clothing, tools and transportation. Some examples of cedar items are bent-wood boxes, ropes and hats. Sockeye salmon fishing is reaching its peak. Every second year during this moon, humback salmon, also called humpies or pink salmon, start running at the end of this moon and into the next two moons. Humpies are captured in pounds, weirs and with scoop nets. Humpies are then smoked hard. Shellfish harvest and curing continues.”—13 Moons: The 13 Lunar Phases, And How They Guide the Swinomish People. By swelitub (Todd A. Mitchell) & Jamie L. Donatuto