Kukwalit (A house dish), Beaver
We call ourselves the Lawitsis people on Turnour island. When we were growing up, I remember helping mother prepare food for the potlatch. We had prepared a large quantity of fish with herbs from the meadow and cooked it slowly on the fire. When ready, we would transfer the food to the Lukwalit or house dish and bring it to the people. The food would stay warm for hours and give a lovely aroma to the whole house. I loved the way we would all sit around it and wait for our turn to be served while listening for stories and playing games. The huge spoon looked so heavy! I remember being so hungry and staring at the intricate carvings. Each house dish represented an animal and was painted with bright colours. Ours was a beaver. Once I watched an artist make a Lukwalit and realized that it is made out of one cedar block!