The interesting tribal lore surrounding the Makah Ozette Potato

The Ozette potato is available in fall from Full Circle Farms and many other
potato varieties are available throughout the year from Olsen Farms. Pictured
clockwise from upper left: All Red, All Blue, Purple Majesty, Romanze, and
German Butterball, to name a few, in addition to more commonly known
varieties such as Russet and Yukon Gold. (Cancler)

According to tribal lore, a fingerling potato known to the Makah Nation as the Ozette potato has been a staple in the diet of these Pacific Coast Native American families for about 200 years. That this potato has been cultivated by the Makah for so many years is interesting because it challenges the general thinking that all potatoes originated in South America and were first taken to Europe by Spaniards, before returning to the Americas with the European colonization.

So how did the Makah come to cultivate the Ozette potato?

The Makah named this potato the Ozette after one of their five ancient villages (Waatch, Sooes, Deah, Ozette and Bahaada), which were located along the shore of the northwestern-most point of the continental United States, now known as Cape Flattery. The Makah People or Qwiqwidicciat means “People of the Cape”.

It is known that the Spanish established a fort at Neah Bay in the spring of 1791. The very next spring, the Spanish abandoned the fort due to the severe winter weather on the Cape, which made moorage of their vessels impossible. The fort contained a vegetable garden. There is evidence to suggest that potatoes planted there were brought directly from South America or Mexico and planted in the gardens at Neah Bay.

In 2004, phylogenetic analysis conducted at Washington State University showed evidence that the Makah Ozette potato was certain to have been imported directly from South America.

It is believed that the Makah people either traded for or found abandoned the Ozette potato left in the garden of the Spanish fort. The Makah adopt this vegetable as a rich carbohydrate source in their diet consisting mainly of seafood and marine mammals and continue its cultivation in their vegetable gardens for the next 200 years.

In the 1980s the Ozette potato is cataloged and seed is first grown outside the Makah Nation.

Another 30 years later, the Makah Ozette Potato Presidium is established in 2008 by the Slow Food Foundation USA. Presidia are selected to improve the infrastructure of artisan food production. The goals of the Presidia are to guarantee the future of local, traditional foods. Each Presidium seeks to identify endangered foods, establish production standards, and promote local consumption. The simple reasoning behind the Presidia—to assist groups of artisan producers—saves endangered food products from extinction.

The Makah Ozette potato is now in high demand and available at Seattle farmers markets in the fall from Full Circle Farms. Many other potato varieties are also available throughout the year at Olsen Farms, a few of which are pictured in the photo above.