Description
Food Plants of Interior First Peoples is an easy-to-use handbook published by the Royal British Columbia Museum. Originally issued in 1978 this handbook will appeal to the general public user interested in knowing more about the edible wild plants of interior British Columbia used by the First Nations. First Nations of the interior include: Interior Salish, Okanagan, Secwepemc, Nlaka'pamux, Ktunaxa, Tsimshian, and Interior Tlingit. The author is an ethnobotonist teaching at the University of Victoria. Her original research combined personal interviews with First Nations Elders with consulting earlier anthropological references. The handbook provides botanical information and usage for more than 150 food plants that live throughout the interior of British Columbia. Each entry contains either a colour or black and white photograph of the plant, other names the plant is called, the plant's habitat, the plant's distribution in British Columbia, and Aboriginal use of the plant. The food plants are organized into categories that include: lichens, mushrooms and fungi, ferns, conifers, and flowering plants. Introductory sections discuss the geography of the region, First Nations, harvesting and preparation of food plants, plants used throughout the seasons, food etiquette, and trading of food plants. One appendix provides a brief list of non-native food plants used by First Nations that include foods such as watercress, melons, and tree fruits. The second appendix provides important information about poisonous plants. This section includes a colour photo and a detailed description of each plant. Additional information provided in appendix format includes a list of foods eaten by coastal First Nations and Interior First Nations; and casual edibles and other plants used for tea and tobacco. The book includes a glossary, index, and bibliographies. Unfortunately the book does not include the names of the plants in Native languages and does not provide information about the spiritual connection to food. Despite this minor oversight, the book is a valuable field guide to the many food plants of the Northwest Coast