

This time of year in the Willamette Valley, we can witness the deep blue blossoms of the lily known in the Native American language Chinuk Wawa as “lakamas,” to scientists as Camassia quamash, and by its English common name, camas (1).
But what makes camas one of our most culturally important plants is the nutritious bulb, which has provided sustenance and wealth to the Native people of this region for tens of thousands of years.
Camas thrives in areas of full sunlight such as prairies or savannas, especially after disturbance. In Native tradition that disturbance takes the form of two main practices: burning and hand digging.
In many areas, camas has been an extremely important staple food for Native peoples. The main source of its high nutrient value is a sugar called inulin, which is neither very digestible nor palatable in its natural state.
When slow-cooked, however, inulin breaks down into its component sugars, giving cooked camas a flavor some say is reminiscent of a baked pear.

These cakes were highly valued as a portable food that could be easily stored for the winter or carried while traveling; they were traded extensively by bands of the Chinook, Kalapuya and Molalla tribes, and other people throughout the Northwest.
Camas is still eaten by Tribal people today. While the species itself is not considered endangered, many of its native habitats are indeed imperiled, mainly due to development and invasive species.

You can help native habitats by getting involved with the organizations (many are Intertwine partners) that protect and restore them. And you can experience camas visually by getting out to one of our region’s natural areas and looking for that telltale indigo-colored bloom.
(1) There are many species of plants known by the common name “camas” or some variant that are native to the Willamette Valley, including the deadly poisonous white-flowered “death camas” (Zygadenus venenosus), but this post focuses on the “common camas,” also known as “early camas” among other common names.
SOURCES
- Archuleta, Greg. “Camas,” unpublished article. Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, 2008.
- Pojar, Jim, and MacKinnon, Andy. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, pp. 108-109. Lone Pine Publishing, 2004.
- Thorsgard, Eirik, Harrelson, David, et al. “Public Plant List for Tualatin Area,” Tribal document for distribution. Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Cultural Protection Program, 2011.