‘The Secret Gardens‘ is offensive and misleading in that it makes it seem as if the Coast Salish lived only in the past (HCN, 8/6/12). It makes no mention of the modern Coast Salish tribes who no doubt know a lot about these camas patches. Has botanist Madrona Murphy contacted any of the Duwamish, Jamestown, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Puyallup, Quinault, Tulalip, Suquamish, Swinomish, Squaxin Island, Snohomish, Skagits, Siletz, or other Coast Salish peoples living around and near the Salish Sea and San Juan Islands? If she did, were they unwilling to share their knowledge of camas locations? At the very least, the article could have mentioned the fact that they are still here.
Sammye J. Meadows
Gunnison, Colorado
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Misleading omissions.
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