07/19/2021
Have you ever picked huckleberries?
This time of year, you can find ripe Huckleberries (Vaccinium membranaceum) all over the park. Their significance to species like grizzly bears is well known, but these delicious berries have also played a vital (and surprising) role in human history.
Called nupxamuĒ in Kootenai, apa-oapspi by many Blackfeet, and stĢÅ”Ć” to the Selis-Pend dāOreille, the sweet berries are a traditional food for indigenous cultures across the west. After being picked in the summer, berries are often laid out in the midday sun or placed next to a fire to dry, preserving nutritious food for year-round consumption.
By the time congress established Glacier in 1910, the popularity of canning kicked off a new era for huckleberries: a commercial industry.
Local canneries primarily sold cherries and apples, the two main fruits grown in the area. While huckleberries were less reliable than domestic fruits, they ripened between cherry and apple seasons and were available to pick for free on public land. As a result, canneries began processing huckleberries, which were available in stores as early as the 1920s.
This new market supported families throughout Northwest Montana, who commonly took working vacations to pick the berries during the summer, selling as many as they could. During the Great Depression, many who found themselves out of work got by picking huckleberries.
They were so popularāan estimated 20,000 gallons picked on the Flathead National Forest in 1932āa debate started over whether or not huckleberries would be a more profitable use of forest land than timber!
Their success led the berries to become increasingly associated with Glacier National Park; Kalispell Wholesale Grocery even sold "Glacier Park Brand" huckleberries.
A lot has changed since then, but even today, the berries remain as popular as ever. Gift shops and grocery stores sell huckleberry-flavored everything: soda, ice cream, candles, chapstick, liquor, and more.
The best part? You can pick them in Glacier! Just remember the picking limit in Glacier for all edible fruits & berries is one quart per person per day.
Image: A hand picking a huckleberry.
