Indigenous explainers: How smokehouse meat helped protect winter food supplies

PINK MOUNTAIN, B.C. — It’s a picturesque setting at Pink Mountain Ranch for the annual Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN) Cultural Camp.

Surrounded by a vast, grand valley, the event is in full swing. Towards the exits, there are several people lined up, with the smell of cured meat swirling in the air.

The process of drying meat goes back generations for the Indigenous people of North America.

Historically, in the Peace region, the area was subject to sudden ‘chinooks’ or thawing spells in which meat would readily spoil and a winter’s supply could not be left to the mercies of the weather, according to writer Dorthea Calverley in a 1973 article published by the South Peace Historical Society.

Thus, excess meat was de-boned before it was cut in thin strips and hung up on racks made of saplings and exposed to the sun, wind or smoke.

According to the article, modern meat such as bacon and beef jerky have their roots in the Indigenous practice.

Animals hunted by attendees – in this case, moose – were donated to the group assembled in the Cultural Camp smokehouse.

Parts of the moose were hung on a rack inside the smokehouse, while a poplar fire lit underneath, which is traditional.

The finished product is known as pânsâwân. The word, Cree in nature, translates to “thin-sliced meat.”

Lillian Apsassin, a self-titled “Elder in training”, said an animal is never laid to waste, as several members of the community were around to assist in the process.

“They brought the whole moose here this morning,” said Apsassin. “[We want] to show the young ones how to skin and which way to lay the moose.”

Apsassin said the process for the preparation usually takes place in the late summer and early autumn in advance of winter.

“The reason for dry meat is because the winter is coming,”  said Apsassin. “We can’t make dry meat during the winter. We make it during the fall, and that is our [best] time to do harvesting for our winter.”

Apsassin adds the process – from cutting to the end of smoking – takes about five days. Once finished, the meat can be eaten by itself or combined with tallow and dried berries to make pemmican.

At West Moberly First Nations’ (WMFN) West Mo Days, there was a drying meat competition where Vera – a member of Saulteau First Nations who asked not to use her last name – was quickly preparing meat for the contest.

Entrants were scored based on cutting skills and dryness of the meat, with the top score to achieve a grand total of 20. 

“It’s a lot of hard work right now,” said Vera. “It’s usually moose meat you can kill out in the bush.

“It’s got to be flat and smooth. It will cook faster. You don’t want it close to heat. It’s got to be smoked.”

Learn more about Indigenous culture and practices with Energeticcity.ca’s explainers, here.