Ts'msyen First Nations harvesters Rachel and Spencer Greening have a new Indigenous food knowledge cookbook, Gyetk (pronounced gy-e-tk and meaning “to feed the people”), that puts traditional food back on plates.
From maple-caramelized beaver tail over baked beans to roasted seal ribs with wild berry barbecue sauce, clam fritters and baked salmon heads, the Greening’s cookbook features 60 seasonal recipes born from the Ts'msyen people of the Pacific Northwest Coast.
“Up north, it’s a lot more common to trap beaver,” said Spencer.
“Non-Indigenous and Indigenous folks who still do harvesting in that way will have beaver in their freezer. Some of these cuts of meats can be quite overlooked, even though they are nutritional powerhouses, and that’s why we highlighted specifically the beaver tail. Also, it’s really kind of comparable to pork belly,” he said.
“I personally love baked fish heads. It’s a simple recipe,” said Rachel.
Together, PhD graduates Rachel and Spencer are a perfect pair who devoted years of their lives to make Gyetk. Rachel, the dietician, works in clinical and community dietetics and as a diabetes educator with the Nuu-chah-nulth Nations while Spencer, the storyteller, is an anthropologist whose research centers on Ts'msyen ecological knowledge, stewardship, and governance, while dabbling in archaeology.
They regularly facilitate food-based workshops with First Nations youth along the coast, emphasizing the role of harvesting in individual and collective well-being.
“We just hope people can see the intention behind the book,” said Spencer. “How do we re-empower these Indigenous palates? Palates have been colonized. So how do we massage these old flavours into a modern world?”
“It’s also about preserving this knowledge because if we don’t preserve it, it’s going to be gone. We want it down in text, so people can remember and get excited,” adds Rachel.
They kick off a six-week book tour with a sold-out launch party at the Clayoquot Campus in Tofino, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations territory, on Sept. 22. Scheduled Canadian stops include Nanaimo, Victoria, Vancouver (Sept. 25 and Sept. 26), Prince George, Prince Rupert, Winnipeg and Toronto. They’ll also head to Seattle, Washington, the Gulf Islands and then up the coast to Haida Gwaii.
The duo trialled every meal in the cookbook and will share complimentary food samples at most stops on the tour.
Rachel says she’s excited to talk to people about eating different animal parts – like fish heads, venison tendons, moose hearts and mountain goat tongues.
“(Elders) really used to like the gelatin and cartilage that aren’t really common in our food system anymore,” she said.
“Part of it is people have been taught that those offcuts of animals are gross or dirty and we just prioritized the beautiful filets and discard all the rest. I get excited about talking to people about eating these different flavours and textures. They’re so nutritious and they’re also delicious and we used to celebrate them,” Rachel continued.
Spencer’s favourite recipe happens to be one of the simplest.
“One that comes to mind is salmonberries with seal grease,” he shared.
“Seal grease coats your entire mouth and holds the flavour of berries in longer. It just makes it a more delicious experience. Those little tricks blow my mind. It’s such a simple recipe, berries mixed with seal grease, when you have the knowledge that comes with it,” he said.
Throughout the book, Rachel and Spencer thoughtfully incorporate the Sm'alyga-x names of species, the endangered language of the Ts'msyen peoples, plus teachings on ethical harvest.
“Indigenous communities have written a playbook of how to harvest in a sustainable way in these ecosystems,” said Spencer. “Through the plethora of things shared irresponsibly on social media, we just wanted to be a responsible voice.”
They also share ‘how to’ steps on jarring salmon, wild berry jam and making broth.
“There are so many different ways to (jar salmon), we just shared one way to do it. It’s not necessarily the Ts'msyen or the only way. I’m sure if some elders are reading it, they will say (otherwise),” said Rachel.
Gyetk: Coastal Fusion and Ancestral Knowledge from a Ts’msyen Kitchen is officially released on Sept. 22, 2026. It can be pre-ordered for $40 through any independent book retailer and the larger online book shops.
