More information

Game instructions:

Oh no! It’s time to dig for camas, but there might be a death camas bulb that was not removed in the spring when they were flowering. Take turns to graph a line and try to find a camas bulb without hitting the death camas bulb!

On your turn:
• Roll three dice. Select two to be your rise or run to form the slope (you can choose to make them + or -).
• Graph a line starting at (0,0) If you hit a camas bulb cross it off and get a point.
• If you hit a death camas bulb, you lose all of your points.
• First to get 5 points wins!

Camas Information:

Camas, also known as Camassia quamash, is a traditional and culturally significant plant for the Indigenous peoples of the south of Vancouver Island, particularly the Coast Salish people. For centuries, camas has played an important role in their diet, medicine, and cultural practices.

Camas is a bulbous perennial plant, which means it has an underground bulb from which the plant emerges each year. The bulbs of camas were a staple food for the Coast Salish people, who would dig them up, usually in late spring or early summer, and prepare them in a variety of ways such as boiling, roasting, or grinding them into flour. Camas was a valuable food source for the Coast Salish people, particularly in the winter when other food sources were scarce.

In addition to its dietary significance, camas also played an important role in the traditional medicine of the Coast Salish people. The bulbs were used to treat a variety of ailments such as colds, stomach troubles, and wounds. The leaves of the camas plant were also used to make baskets and mats, which were used for carrying and sitting on.

Camas was also a significant part of the Coast Salish people's culture, with camas feasts, dances, and songs being an integral part of their community. The camas feast was a time when the community would come together to share the camas they had harvested and celebrate the abundance of food that the camas bulbs had provided.

Today, camas continues to hold cultural and spiritual significance for the Coast Salish people, who still gather and use the plant for food, medicine, and cultural practices. It is also recognized as an important plant species for the region's ecosystem and efforts are being made to conserve and protect it. As part of a healthy ecosystem, it helps other plants and animals to survive. It is important to take care of the camas and the land where it grows, so it can continue to be used for generations to come.

Camas is not only important to the indigenous people, but also to the ecosystem of the south of Vancouver Island. The plant is part of the natural ecosystem and helps to support other plants and animals.

Additional Information

Camas & the Gary Oak Ecosystem