Preserving Oolichan

Oolichan were the 'saviour fish' for many North Coast First Nations. They were the first fresh food source to return to the communities after the long winter. Because they were so highly coveted as a food source and as a trade item, oolichan were preserved in many ways. This project reviews some of the preservation techniques used by the Nisga'a people.

After catching the oolichan, the fish are eaten fresh (by boiling, baking or frying) or they are preserved to be eaten throughout the year. Preserving methods include sundrying and smoking the fish or rending the oolichan to collect the grease or oil.

Sundried Oolichan

'The earliest form of whole oolichan preservation was sun-drying. Some of the first run of oolichan were hung on elderberry bushes for immediate use, but most was strung on racks using the hat'al that had been collected the previous June.' (Nisga'a Tribal Council V. IV, 1995)

'In those [the early] days they [people] didn't smoke oolichan, they only dried them... [in] the sun and air.' (Nisga'a elder, Gade'elibim Hayatskw, [Rufus Watts])

Oolichans are hung on a cedar string the Nisga'a called Hat'al and hung to dry in the sun. Hat'al was harvested the summer before the oolichan run specifically for sun drying oolichan.

After all the oolichans are strung on the Hat'al, they are washed.

'They are washed three times, making sure to squeeze the heads to clean the gills. After washing, the oolichans are brined, then they are hung on drying racks.' (Elder Grace Azak of Gitwinsihlkw)

Figure 1 Sundrying Oolichan on the Nass River ca. 1880s [BC Archives C-07436]

'...the women are really careful hanging the oolichans for sundrying, the stomachs on the outside, so the sun hits it... Each family had one smokehouse and one gane'e [sundrying rack]. About three or four families lived in a house...

'The gane'e had support poles and a board going across to stand on to hang the oolichans on. Cedar ropes were used to string and hang the oolichans.'

The men who make the drying racks use three cedar poles set upright in holes in the ground and nailed together at distance to hang the oolichan strings in between the poles.

Smoked Oolichan

The first oolichan to come up the river are usually the males. These are the fish that are chosen for oolichan smoking.

Figure 2: Oolichan Hung for Smoking Photo by Dave Gordon

Smoked oolichan is done in a similar manner as sun-drying, with the oolichan being washed and strung on a stick. The stick used in the smoking process is called a gangahldigit.

They used to put about thirty oolichan on the gangahldigit, which is shaped like a rod. One end is shaped like the shape of a pencil, which helps slide the oolichans on. All the kids are made to help their mother out.'

'To smoke the oolichan you use green alder (luux)... The smoking has to be just right and this is the ladies' responsibility. They smoke it for so many days... in the wilp digit [oolichan smokehouse]. ([Hleek] James Gosnell)

'Our grandmothers would work on smoked oolichan after leaving them to age for four to five days. We would wash them about eight times until clean and then soak them in salt water brine for at least an hour. The next step was to put them [oolichan] on sticks and each person would average at least 100 sticks or more. After this was done they are put inside the smoke house, and build a fire with luux. This is the only type of wood used for smoking oolichan.' (Elder [Hlgu K'Alaams] Sarah Barton)

Grease

Rendered Oolichan grease was used for medicinal purposes in earlier times. For example, a cupful of grease would cure a stomach ache or a cold. It also eased aching muscles and was rubbed on a mother after childbirth. (Harrington, 1953). As the grease was used in many kinds of food preparation, and was a key trade item for the Nisga'a and other coastal First Nations.
Grease making was a key component of preserving oolichan. The grease was collected by boiling vast quantities of oolichan in giant pots and then filtering the grease that rose to the top of the pots.

Figure 3: Processing Oolichan Grease on Nass River, ca. 1880s. [BC Archives C-07432]

Other Harvesting Methods

Besides sun drying and smoking, the oil rich oolichan can also be salted or pickled, and nothing can be more of a treat then when oolichan are eaten fresh!

Figure 4: Fresh Oolichan Photo by Dave Gordon

Before the coming of the railway along the Skeena, the oolichan was considered a delicacy and was also called 'The Skeena Turkey'.

Robert Cunningham, a businessman who lived and worked closely with the First Nations along the Skeena River, 'downed eighty-one at a single setting' on a dare. Even though the oolichan are so small, it is interesting to see how many a person can eat in one meal. It is not hard to believe that Cunningham may still hold that record of 81 oolichans.

Oolichans were not heavily pursued in the open market like the salmon, but there was one documented attempt. In the mid 1900s Jimmie Bacon, owner of Bacon Fisheries, a fish packing company in Prince Rupert, BC, attempted to market oolichan. He processed oolichan grease, fresh-frozen, smoked oolichan, and other exotic commodities such as dried herring eggs and seaweed. He stated of his efforts on the preservation process:

'We thread the hoolicans on iron rods, and hang them in tiers in the smokehouses. I tried thermostatic control with coal smoke, and that smoke salt, but I've gone back to the slower process of using hardwood sawdust. You get better color and much better flavour that way.; Oolichans go well with beer.'

Mr. Bacon also bought oolichan grease from the Skeena Natives, in those times Bacon paid $6.00 to $10.50 per gallon.

References

Harrington, Lyn. (1953, March). Trail of the Candlefish. The Beaver Magazine Of The North. (pp.40-44).

Nisga'a Tribal Council. (1995) The Land and Resources: Traditional Nisga'a Systems of Land Use and Ownership. Ayuukhl Nisga'a Study Volume IV. Wilp Wilxo'oskwhl Nisga'a Publications.

Peal, Charmaine. (2004) Fishery Bay. Nisga'a Stories Behind the Photographs. (pp.23-26) Wilp Wilxo'oskwhl Nisga'a Society.

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