Blue Camas, Blue Camas

The captivating story of how the Blue Camas, a flower that has been cultivated on Canada’s west coast since time immemorial, came to symbolize the meeting of two contrasting ways of life and the perseverance of traditional knowledge against all odds.

Blue Camas, Blue Camas tells the story of a flower that is native to the Northwest Coast of North America. For thousands of years, it has been considered a sacred and valuable plant by the Indigenous Peoples of this region, who harvested and traded Blue Camas bulbs all along the west coast. At the height of this period, meadows would come alive with the bright wildflowers, which would attract dozens of species of butterflies and birds, and entire villages would work together to harvest the plant and ensure its continued growth. When Europeans arrived and began to colonize the land, they did not see the value of the Blue Camas plant, and in fact saw the meadows where the plant had been harvested as ideal terrain to grow their own crops. The story takes place at the point of contact between a Lkwungen community and a group of Irish settlers, who see the land in very different ways. This beautifully illustrated picture book is an ode to a way of life that was threatened and nearly destroyed through miscommunication and colonization. It also raises awareness for food rights, biodiversity, and the preservation of ecosystems, offering children and teachers the opportunity to discuss these important themes in an open and constructive way.

Danielle S. Marcotte is a bilingual children’s book author and retired journalist. For more than thirty years, she was Radio-Canada radio host and producer, interviewing countless artists, political figures, and citizens from all walks of life. As of 2024, she has published fifteen books for young readers and translated four children's titles. She has also written a few short stories as well as articles for French and English magazines and newspapers. She is a member of La Société Historique Francophone de la Colombie-Britannique. An avid traveller, she often visits her native Quebec, as well as Atlantic Canada, the Yukon, and Japan.