The Techniques Behind Harvesting the Best Clams on the West Coast - Vendors

The Suquamish Tribe lives on the Port Madison Indian Reservation in Washington state, where they harvest and sell seafood. Using methods passed down from their elders, members of the tribe harvest clams and oysters with their hands and celebrate together over clam bakes.
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Credits:
Producer: Carla Francescutti
Directors: Carla Francescutti, Murilo Ferreira
Camera: Murilo Ferreira, Carla Francescutti
Production Coordinator: Nick Mazzocchi
Sound: Jeremiah Sheets
Editor: Josh Dion
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Supervising Producer, Operations: Stefania Orrù
Supervising Producer, Development: Gabriella Lewis
Audience Engagement: Avery Dalal
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[@eater]

For more on Suquamish Seafoods, head over to their website: suquamishseafoods.com

[@kathys7283]

You should invite the youtube channel @cookingwithclams or #clams_levatino to do some videos with Squamish seafood. It would be a great video!

[@ScreamingSicilian70]

I love to see tradition still being held onto. The fact that they take care of their elders is so good to see. Elders should be respected and cherished. Without them, there wouldn't be much of a tribe.

[@BigboiiTone]

I agree with you completely. It's really depressing how mainstream western culture has normalised ageism and disrespect towards elders. So when I see people around my age who being responsible and compassionate, it gives me a good feeling

[@NicHeuwGuitar]

Such a beautiful community, harvesting clams on the beach with family members while keeping the clams sustainable. There's no clambake where I grew up but I sure wish we have!

[@jtf267]

Looks really fun and yummy. Some of us have never had the opportunity to gather clams or oysters. Would love to try. Love this video. Love seeing culture live on.

[@FishOutOfWaterToronto]

What a great video! So nice to see the younger generations still respecting the continued traditions and livelihoods in today's rather frenetic societies.

[@Liberalcali]

Good to see my other native brothers and sisters continuing their tribe culture Peace and health from coahuilatecan tribe

[@SkylinersYeti]

It is good to keep traditions alive. fresh seafood so good

[@PieterBreda]

Absolutely great that they keep their culture and thus their identity instead of gradually losing their history.

[@freddyvelasquez4168]

Continued blessings for future plentiful harvests.

[@SHeltFC]

Yoo WHAT I live Suquamish-adjacent, it’s so cool seeing a spotlight on amazing people so close to home.

[@kimberlyjohnson7961]

Hmmmm! I'm a Vietnamese American who loves seafood! Thank you for sharing your videos. God Bless!

[@TheJohn8765]

Great to see a culture keeping its traditions alive.

[@Raju-rx7ed]

"My mum was a really good digger, she taught me a lot about it" has to be one of the greatest quotes in existence.

[@migueldelmazo5244]

I ain't saying she's a good digger...

[@HercadosP]

​@@migueldelmazo5244Her dad was the better clam digger

[@ddflick6]

Pretty crazy to see the reservation I grew up on featured on one of y’all vids.

[@bonkersblock]

I love this KZbin channel! So much great content about great chefs great farmers and great ingredients..

[@rusminnoer632]

Respect your tribe and traditions...

[@bodyandsoulinconstanttrans9190]

Another beautiful story! thx guys :)

[@sammorossi]

Nice, this is from where I live so its great to see local processes and the way of life of people here.

[@imxploring]

Longer handles on those rakes would make the day a bit more enjoyable. Nice product placement with the Yeti buckets and coolers.

[@RayMak]

Best life ever

[@maxwellmortimermontoure7274]

My county! Best seafood in the world around these parts.

[@evequeseance652]

Food cooked this way is tastiest

[@StupidZombs]

I wanna do this on my Birthday too jeez very lucky they get to dig for clams

[@janetseidlitz5976]

Native peoples have so much to teach regarding living with the environment and not destroying it.

[@id10t98]

Digging clams is fun as well as rewarding. I dug my share of razor necks in Alaska during my younger days.

[@maestrovonhuge9397]

Yum, I'm so jealous, simple food done well.

[@thelastbison2241]

This is so meaningful.

[@marccastell6724]

So amazing. Just beautiful!

[@Oisdead]

Dope piece! Thanks for sharing!

[@brianmoody2549]

Keeping tradition a live with family.

[@scottyplug]

This was fantastic to watch. Question: that looked like 4 or 5 bags at 25lbs a bag and $5 a pound. So was that like $500 or more of seafood for that bake? Is that normal, or is the math different when bought in more bulk like that? Or, is that more like the spoils for the victors/harvesters? Man, I swear I could smell those suckers steaming all the way down here in SoCal. . . .

[@ChauNyan]

Clams are so delicious.

[@jayhuang8417]

I wish they can ship to cali🤤

[@GrillWasabi]

Mmm imagine put lemongrass, bulbs of garlic, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, shallots in those steam. I could taste the flavors!😍🥰👌

[@nederlanditis8154]

Do more of this kind of uploads.

[@AlexandraAquamarine]

Amazing experience. I necessarily wanna try baked clams with good friends.

[@allythearts5439]

Oh my the baby clams 🫢

[@dkhooeh]

LONG LIVE SUQUAMISH TRIBE, GOD BLESS ALL THERE.

[@tamarahildegard1688]

what a wonderful video.

[@thediner8929]

Clam bakes are the best.

[@tesscarry]

Wow , would love to be there ....

[@lifeeasier3462]

I wish I could be there.m! This looks so much fun.

[@ryanwaidalowski9221]

Even at like 10 years old Clam Bake Birthday I will take any day.

[@michaeljeanrichard4]

I live just north of their in BC, if you think that is cool, look up clam gardens. Very cool, the First Nations would organize rocks to make an area as the most habitable area for the clams so the harvest would be so much greater. They're also really funny because it shows some of the ignorance of colonization. The rock formations went as a HUGE mystery up until very recently when the white folks at the late 20th century did the very complicated task to solve this age old mystery of asking. That's all. Nobody had ever thought to ask the people who lived here for generations what the completely intentional, man made rock structures were.

[@VBarry-jj5op]

Clam gardens were more prevalent in the north Salish see where the intertidal area is steeper. Where the Suquamish people live in Central Puget Sound, beaches are flatter and there is no need to create - or extend - habitat. Clam gardens are very ingenious and a form of low intensive aquaculture.

[@AyanaInChrist]

This is very cool

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

It’s wonderful that the tribe celebrates and eats their harvest. Unfortunately public lands where non tribal people can harvest clams are getting smaller and smaller due to commercial clamming and habitat destruction. I did not see anyone dipping them in butter. Those are purists that truly enjoy their bounty. The suquamish are a great tribe. To be fair they also have a huge casino and sell fireworks in the summer.

[@Blazen747]

Wow nice 😊

[@FoodCloud89]

when the tides out the tables set :)

[@Verlopil]

Why oh why did I have to develop a shellfish allergy? Dammit, I loved clams.

[@seanculligan8592]

What requirements do you have to meet to be a tribal memeber? The clams look amazing. I've only seen clams this big in Portugal.

[@jujitsujew23]

Lineage test included demonstrating family tree and a DNA test. You must prove you are a descendant of the tribe

[@seanculligan8592]

Cool. I was thinking that lots of the people in the video did seem to be Native American. Although, it could just be that I have no idea what a Native American looks like or what constitutes a modern Native American. The clams look amazing, not matter who grows them haha @@jujitsujew23

[@jtorola]

@@seanculligan8592couple hundreds of intermarriage and cultural exchange that’s mostly one sided will change how people look and talk

[@johnjones3332]

we have a lot of " 5 dollar Indians" in america.

[@therealchucktaylor3392]

@@johnjones3332😂😂😂

[@kwhatten]

You need melted butter! I'm guessing you don't harvest during red tides?

[@shellenekurtz4679]

No we don't. Sometimes we melt butter in a big shell on the rocks.

[@lifeeasier3462]

Wow

[@thelastbison2241]

Wow

[@markskibo5159]

Oh my god I would be in heaven !!! where can I buy some?

[@IrvinGarcia-im8hf]

There website is in the top comment

[@blessedbeauty2293]

- 2:09 I noticed "Yeti" presented the video && you're using "Yeti" buckets. Is that NORMALLY what this clam crew uses???

[@Escalotes]

You say this is a clam bake, but these clams are clearly steamed. Mmm yes, steamed clams.

[@bbxtrade2688]

i love clams and im jealous compared to working in corporate world they have the best lives.

[@shino8854]

Steamed in salt water best way to eat clams.

[@monkeyking4997]

"Manilas"?

[@XxBLKMAMBAxX]

Simple squamous epithelium ?

[@maxipadthai]

Interesting, I've aways wanted to try shellfish harvesting, most beaches around Vancouver (pretty close to this place in the video) or Van Island are closed due to marine biotoxins. Does Canada have higher safety standard?

[@esoteridactyl]

WA has had issues too.

[@MasonLynass]

summer isn't a great time to go harvest anyways - like Shellene said, when the water's warmer they think it's time to spawn, so their taste & texture is different, and it's harder to keep them cool. check again in the fall!

[@maxipadthai]

@@MasonLynass That's a very good point! I'll check it out again in a few months. Thank you for the suggestion!

[@esoteridactyl]

@@maxipadthai there are seasons around here where they are open to dig and not so definitely take a look at whatever BCs fish and wildlife department has on their website

[@andrewmacmillen1086]

BC will have requirements for licensing, harvest areas, and harvest rules, seasons and safety just like WA does.

[@sgkenswil]

1/10 indigenous dna?

[@Jenanluv]

Wow. Wonderful community! Kung dito iyan sa amin, ubos iyan. Mga tao pa naman dito ganid kaya never magiging sustainable ang resources namin dito.

[@RoivonPC]

I feel sorry for those that cannot or refuse to eat seafood.

[@johnjones3332]

Shellfish is trash food.

[@upsidedownshield5408]

The clammen

[@kimyoungjin8293]

Idc about their differences they look the same n tasty.

[@V_4_Versace]

I don’t know if I’ve ever had a cooked clam or oyster with no seasonings or butter, I’m sure it’s delicious but it looks so odd to me

[@PharaohFluidity]

Pour a bucket of garlic butter over it all at the end and I'm down

[@rayechestersiao3014]

You need to sook it for hours right to get those sands out of them

[@jujitsujew23]

Here come the blood quantum racists

[@johnjones3332]

5 dollar indians.

[@williamloud7350]

No, they actually look Indian.

[@jeanpremier4]

@@johnjones3332you are ruthless

[@johnjones3332]

@@williamloud7350 Indians look literally like Indians that’s why they called the natives Indians. These are Europeans

[@thedeeprot]

:D

[@JWnFlorida]

Sign me up.. beautiful.

[@derrelljones1410]

none of those people look native american

[@wiwingmargahayu6831]

skyscrapper

[@Mr.Hooter702]

Unseasoned food as usual.

[@barrelvinewhiskeyandwine]

It’s crazy how all these organic boutique small seafood farmers use $40 Yeti 5 gallon buckets. I guess we’re over paying for our clams 🤑.

[@ItsSomeDeadGuy]

What are you even talking about man

[@Uncle-Ruckus.]

U rly think farming is cheap ??

[@amarillorica]

imagine getting mad that someone isnt living in a burlap sac yet ur a yeti brand nerd

[@Happycamper808]

I never understand why yeti products are so expensive. They make good coolers and stuff but their profit margin has to be crazy.

[@tonyjolley832]

I'm pretty sure since Yeti sponsored the video, they also provided the buckets.

[@nono-yd8ij]

As per American tradition we should take the land

[@joshong6266]

Not one seasoning in sight

[@DKHolbrook11]

Bivalves are naturally salty

[@ItsSomeDeadGuy]

Sometimes it's okay to just enjoy the natural flavor of something without smothering it in herbs and spices.

[@Uncle-Ruckus.]

Yeah better to drown it in salsa right?🤡

[@Kind_Candor]

That's how you choose yours....one that wears bling whilst getting the nails dirty.

[@IceFish.]

dont see the appeal of bi valves tbh

[@trebor000]

Keep that to urself

[@rosameltrozo5889]

Wonder what their 23andme results would be

[@jujitsujew23]

Considering the Squamish tribe uses DNA testing as a part of their lineage test to join the tribe I’d wager they have much more native ancestry than you think

[@rosameltrozo5889]

@@jujitsujew23 I'd be surprised

[@jujitsujew23]

@@rosameltrozo5889 well that's completely unsurprising as your view is common among non natives. Just because some may look white to you doesn't mean they don't have significant native heritage

[@rosameltrozo5889]

@@jujitsujew23 Significant? sure, I'd be surprised if it goes above 30% for most of them

[@ThatGuy3714]

@jujitsujew23 what a way to use words to be misleading. The DNA testing you're referring too only means 1/16th of that DNA to qualify as saying youre from native background. Thats just 6%.... By that logic not only i'm I native I'm also black 😂

[@Damascus5350]

Seem to be a lot of blondes in the tribe…🤔

[@jujitsujew23]

Time stamp? There wasn’t a single blonde head in the video

[@zeiwow0]

the Squamish tribe uses DNA testing as a part of their lineage test to join the tribe I’d wager they have much more native ancestry than you think

[@jujitsujew23]

@@borrago since you're apparently blind, none of those people are blonde...Do you even know what blonde hair looks like?

[@timnone2924]

none of those people were blonde, thats all brown hair...

[@johnjones3332]

@@zeiwow0 at what point are you not a Native American anymore? by 2100 you gonna have full white people talking about they are oppressed and getting paid and got free land. lmao

[@jaklg7905]

I appreciate that people enjoy these shellfish but I just can't eat them. They taste like the worst part of the ocean, like algae and overly salty pond scum. I imagine it helps if you grow up eating them but I have spent my whole life in the midwest and never had them growing up. Tried them a few times as an adult but I just don't like them. I do enjoy fish and even octopus, just not these bivalves.

[@benf8706]

All west coast bivalves have that taste- try east coast. Also from the midwest, but we mostly vacation to the east coast. Most overnight seafood is from the east coast as well. Clean salinity and fresh flavor in east coast in my opinion... What we have had from the west coast is like it has boiled nori sheets in with it...

[@NeillNorcal]

@@benf8706 About the dumbest thing I've ever read.

[@jaklg7905]

@@benf8706 Yeah, I can't stand the taste of nori. It has that pond scum, algae taste to it. I have had some decent scallops but that was in the Caribbean when they were fresh, diver scallops right out of the water.

[@Noel-vf6ty]

Ahneen, boohzoo, from the philippines, yummy clams

[@jjranger5022]

We do caughog bakes in New England and lobster bakes , but claims hands down the best fishers island NY

[@sexybrunchset8881]

Wholesome vid just dont look at the comments 😅

[@waltzie]

YETI products are garbage prices. Yea they work well but the price just isn't worth it.

[@trebor000]

Lol good thing u didn’t pay for the products shown in the video

[@donwan2637]

Can we get a dna text these folks look white to me

[@jesseryder2384]

Why not Seed Cherry Stones/versus Manilas? I get the longevity for selling. I'm sure cold water north American Pacific Coast manilas are way better than the warm water South Pacific farmed ones. But, they just have a stigma. Like people saying, haddock is as good as cod, nonsense! You guys got any unmarried women that needs a can do husband?

[@VBarry-jj5op]

Manila clams are not endemic to the area but they are naturalized. The first seed came in the early 1900s when shellfish growers were importing Pacific oyster seed from Japan. Manila clams thrived on Puget Sound beaches and found a niche between native clams without taking over. It's definitely not a good idea to purposely introduce non-native species like the cherry stones.

[@vnxdragon]

omg that cooking method, such a waste. All the clam juice went straight to the ground. These barbarian do not know how to appreciate clam.

[@kutiiriye]

I didn't know Seattle Washington existed 2000 years ago 😂😂😂😂

[@VBarry-jj5op]

Chief Sealth was a Suquamish Duwamish Chief in the 1800s and the city was named after him. Tribes in this area have been around here for more than 15,000 years.