By Sharon Blythe

Special Contributor

‘Fraser Canyon Roots: Tait (Yale) and NLaka’pamux (Spuzzum) Basketry – A Cultural Legacy’ is once again coming to the Yale Historic Site starting Friday, August 21. This year’s three-day event will be dedicated to Yale First Nation elders Lawrence Hope and Lena Johnnie, both who have passed away since the last basketry workshop held in 2005.

Although the Hope & District Arts Council sponsored a one-day basketry workshop with basket maker Marion Dixon in Yale in August of 2007, the last three day event was held in its entirety in August of 2005.

Earlier this year Irene Bjerky, the event’s original organizer, contacted the museum site and rounded up Sydney Mason, Sharon Blythe and Lori Izawa, who formed a committee to support Irene in her efforts to bring back this culturally significant event.

At 7:00 p.m. on the Friday the Yale museum will open for the wine and cheese reception with local author, Ken Wotherspoon reading from his book, ‘Snakes in the Wild Oats’. Well known in Hope, this gregarious Royal Canadian Legion chaplain and retired United Church minister will have copies of his book on hand to autograph and sell.

Bright and early Saturday morning will be workshop registration day, with coffee, tea and muffins with butter and homemade jam being served up to get everyone going. At about 9:00 a.m. a representative from the Yale First Nations will welcome the participants, followed by a presentation on NLaka’pamux basketry by both Marion Dixon of Hope and Mandy Brown from Lytton. Next on the schedule is a demonstration and hands-on workshop on cedar root preparation by Cathy Hope and Christine Stephenson. After lunch, Nita Bobb of Spuzzum and Lauriane Rockel, a resident of Yale, will show the participants how to make baskets using Ponderosa Pine needles.

Food, and lots of it, is a very important part of any First Nations event. To this end a traditional “Salmon Feast’, which will include Pink, Coho and Spring salmon, Fraser Valley corn, rice, potatoes and fresh veggie platters will be served. It was hoped that the salmon could be cooked in the traditional way with the salmon fillets being laced onto cedar stakes and cooked over a campfire, but due to the tinder dry conditions this year the fish will be cooked on a propane-fired barbecue supplied by the Yale & District Fire Volunteer Fire Department.

Entertainment this year following the feast will be the First Nation Siska Dancers. Other musical entertainment is also planned.

Sunday will include presentations by Vera Edmonds of the Lil’wat Nation, which is near Pemberton BC., two cedar basketry coiling and imbrications sessions with Marion Dixon, a demonstration by Cathy Hope on how to fillet and prepare salmon for wind drying, and a tour of Lady Franklin Rock.

Sometime during the weekend Marion and her son James will be making batches of bannock which can be eaten with spoonfuls of homemade jam. These wonderful, light as a feather morsels are being made by two of the best bannock makers in B.C..

Registration forms, programs and more info may be obtained at the Historic Yale Museum. Phone 604-863-2324, e-mail ydhs@uniserve.com or go to www.yalehistoricsite.com .