Words of Thanks:

Villagers would speak words of thanks for nature's abundance. They might say to the plants:

"Thank you for having pity upon us. You give your life so that we may live. We will use all parts of you in the most respectful way we know how. We will take from you how we have been taught. In removing branches, believe that I am pruning you and you will get prepared to harvest in abundance again next year.

You may one day provide the juices to heal the sick. You may be used in ceremony to allow us to have sweetness in our own actions. I will tell the people where you came from. You may be even used to help conduct peace amongst all people. You are like a friend that has returned after a year of absence."

The time when the berries were ready to pick was an exciting time for the Secwepemc. They consider this season a gift since it gave them the opportunity to gather food for the upcoming year and to celebrate the first berries with a special ceremony. The First Fruit Ceremony was performed many different ways depending on the village and which fruit was being gathered. One custom at the sxu'sem berry ceremony was to place some berries in the palm of the hand and rub them together until a foam appeared. While doing this the picker would give thanks to the Creator for providing berries for another year's harvest. Once thanks was given the picker would lick the foam from their hands. Then the pickers would begin to harvest the berries.

Each village had certain areas to gather particular berries. The people placed a gift at their berry picking grounds to show their appreciation for the new crop. The gifts given would vary depending on the village.

Picking Berries

After the first day's picking, everyone would taste the fresh fruit. They would have a day of celebration. After this the people would continue to pick berries, taking only what was needed. They would be required to move to certain areas during the time spent harvesting. This was done so that the area could regenerate itself and the animal people could also share in the gift.

As people picked, they sang songs that had not been sung since the previous year. Some people say that the songs were a way to continue to give thanks. They also helped other people know where you were. The berries could be harvested and processed as much as possible in the field so they would not get spoiled. The cleaning, sorting and drying would be done on the spot. This season was indeed as rich as the berries were sweet.


Activity: Gathering & Cooking

Are you interested in finding out what it was like to harvest berries? If so, you can have a berry picking experience and have some delicious jam too. You will need a bucket and a recipe for making jam or jelly. Go out and pick the berries that are in season. Then follow your recipe to make some delicious jam.

What kind of gift will you leave when you harvest your berries? Make sure you have your gift with you when you harvest your berries. Also remember to give thanks to the Creator. You could use the Words of Thanks from above or you could make up your own Words of Thanks.

Important Information to Remember:
  • A special ceremony took place to celebrate the first berries.
  • The cleaning, sorting and drying were all done in the field so the berries would not spoil.