By Shaun Scott, Puyallup Tribal News
Kenny McCloud grabbed the keys to his Jeep and set out to guide Huckleberry Camp attendees to Pole Patch, the site where Tribal Members picked berries.
The 75-year-old McCloud volunteered to lead the caravan deep into the wilderness.
The Puyallup Tribe’s Culture Department hosted its annual Huckleberry Camp from Aug. 24 to 28 at the Cispus Learning Center outside of Randle, Lewis County.
The attendees departed camp Monday, Aug. 25, around 8:15 a.m. after eating breakfast provided by Margarita Morales and Serafina Vallo.
Located 23 miles from the Cispus Learning Center, the path to Pole Patch is nine miles of paved roadway and nine miles of a rough, dirt road. The path is designed for only one vehicle at a time.
McCloud said there’s nothing but life itself up there with no traffic, city life or noise.
“We’re up here for the berries and the berries are here for us,” he said. “The huckleberries are a sacred food.”
The drive from camp to Pole Patch takes roughly one hour as each vehicle has to take its time navigating the rugged terrain. Upon arrival, families scattered throughout the patch to pick out their favorite spot to pick huckleberries.
Roselynn Johnson said it was the fourth consecutive year she visited Huckleberry Camp at the Cispus Learning Center. She brought her husband, Wyatt, and their daughter, Dolores, along for the trip.
“It brings good medicine. My uncle who can’t make it out here to pick berries, he always enjoys the berries that we pick for him. We give him a few gallons,” Johnson said. “We get to meet new people every year and we also get to see the same people. It is awesome.”
Cultural Director Angeline Totus said being away from the city and present in the outdoors amongst huckleberries is a great experience for Tribal Members.
“You can feel the peacefulness. It is refreshing to be out in the wilderness,” Totus said. “I am just so thankful our people can come up here to enjoy themselves and get huckleberries. It is one of our traditional foods that we continue to carry in our lives. The berries are always here for us.”
Totus said she’s thankful seeing multiple generations from the same family together picking berries and seeing the lessons and traditions passed down from generation to generation.
“It is a true blessing because the young people will remember coming up here and eventually they’re going to have their own kids and they are going to bring their families up here too, to pick huckleberries,” she said. “As Native people who belong to this land, they know they can come up here every year to pick with their family. I’m so thankful they bring their families up.”
Tribal Member Jamie Barina attended Huckleberry Camp for the first time this year. She said she saw the email notification about the camp and decided her family would give it a try. She was accompanied by her husband and five children.
“I had been looking for somewhere to camp. When I saw this, I got excited. Being here means a lot to me,” Barina said. “My grandma was very traditional, and it is so nice to be out here with Puyallups, too. I’m trying to teach my children as much Native culture as I can.”
Evening activities at the campsite throughout the week consisted of talking circles, drumming, arts/crafts, singing and dance practices. McCloud spent a lot of his time making the rounds throughout camp visiting with families.
“We’re all together and being one. It is family taking care of family,” McCloud said.
