Gyetk: Coastal Fusion and Ancestral Knowledge from a Ts’msyen Kitchen

Gyetk (gee-yet-k; to feed the people)showcases the rich culinary traditions of the Ts'msyen people through 60 recipes, highlighting the importance of traditional foods and sustainable practices.

Engage in the natural gifts of the Pacific Northwest Coast through 60 nourishing recipes that feature traditional Ts’msyen foods, ancestral knowledge, land-based stories, and ecological wisdom.

Gyetk (pronounced gy-e-tk and meaning “to feed the people”) immerses readers into the rich food traditions, knowledge, and relationships that have sustained the Ts’msyen (Tsimshian) people for millennia along the Pacific Northwest Coast. Drawing from the authors’ lived experiences practicing a land-based lifestyle, as well as their backgrounds in Indigenous food sovereignty, health and well-being, and cultural research, Gyetk weaves together modern culinary fusion, traditional knowledge, and scholarly insight. Through 60 beautifully photographed recipes, the book follows the Ts’msyen seasonal round, weaving together ancestral foodways, traditional ecological knowledge, dietetic perspectives, and thoughtful harvesting practices—inviting readers to feast in relationship with the natural world.

Inside Gyetk, you’ll discover:

• An introduction to the Ts’msyen people and a food philosophy grounded in relationship with the land and waters
• An extensive guide to traditional foods, including seaweed, salmon, nettles, venison, halibut, clams, cockles, berries, hazelnuts, and more
• 60 delicious recipes inspired by both traditional ingredients and contemporary Pacific Northwest Coast cuisine
• Seasonal teachings rooted in traditional ecological knowledge
• Practical harvesting, preservation, and fermentation insights
• Essential pantry ingredients for cooking with Pacific Northwest Coast foods
• Stunning food and landscape photography throughout
• A dietitian’s perspective on key nutrients, food systems, and the importance of being in relationship with ones’ food system.
  
  

As readers prepare meals in rhythm with the seasons, they will gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural, ecological, and nutritional significance of Indigenous foods. Alongside recipes, Gyetk offers guidance for cooking with a land-based ethos—encouraging ethical harvesting, mindful consumption, and the use of whole ingredients to reduce food waste. Rooted in reciprocity, respect, and relationship, Gyetk offers a journey toward nourishing both people and place.