Indigenous peoples have the longest memory of, and most profound connections to the life cycles of native plants and animals. Wenix Red Elk, the Education Outreach Coordinator for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), will share the specifics and preparation of First Foods like salmon, deer, elk, camas bulbs, biscuitroot and huckleberry.
Wenix Red Elk is an enrolled member of the Umatilla (Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation) and grew up at CTUIR. Her traditional knowledge came from her grandmother, who took her to the longhouse for religious ceremonies. Her father hunted, and her mother was always involved with natural herbs. When she was 17, Red Elk began to learn traditional herb ways from her aunts and CTUIR. Red Elk started working at the Living Cultural Center at the time of the Oregon Trail Centennial. Her current job involves outreach for the CTUIR Department of Natural Resources; she educates the public about salmon habitat restoration, water resources, fisheries, and hunting. Red Elk is very knowledgeable about First Foods and the CTUIR’s habitat restoration efforts.
