The camas plant is deeply rooted in the Pacific Northwest, its history entwined with this place and the lives and cultures of Native peoples who have lived here for millennia.

Oregon is home to 65% of named camas species, which grow across the region’s diverse climates. Camas blooms in the spring, and its flowers are an early-season energy source for pollinators. Camas bulbs store the plants’ nutrients underground, helping camas survive seasonal droughts and environmental stresses.

Camas has long been cultivated by Kalapuyans and Chinookans of western Oregon, Columbia River Sahaptins, coastal and southwestern tribes, Plateau peoples, and Northern Paiute. Camas is an important first food, and its harvest and preparation takes time. The process is rooted in cultural knowledge passed down through relationships and across generations. Like much knowledge outside of Western frameworks, a deep understanding of camas— its complexity, beauty and utility— has long been neglected and ignored. But the knowledge remains.

Sources:

Rooted In Culture — Oregon’s Wild Camas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl-mc70jm98

Catani, M. Flowers of the Columbia River Gorge. Available for purchase at @nwbotany

Oregon Encyclopedia: https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/camas/

Oregon History Project: https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/camas/