Huckleberries are culturally important food. Tribes say it isn't treated like one

Huckleberries appear in any number of Northwest products like ice cream, syrups, jams, teas, pies, tinctures, and vodka, but they are incredibly difficult to grow on farms.  Instead, huckleberries grow at high elevations in fields, and are found mostly in forests that have recently burned.  Native people have been picking huckleberries for generations and huckleberry harvests in the mountains are one of the major food gathering events for Tribes. But many say a combination of federal forest management practices and commercial picking operations infringe on their treaty rights. Guests:  Josephine Woolington, writer based in Portland Elaine Harvey, Ḱamíłpa band member, one of the 14 bands that comprise the Yakama Nation Relevant Links:  High Country News: The True Cost of the Huckleberry Industry Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.