Indigenous Knowledge of Berries in the NWT project
This project was designed to document Indigenous knowledge of berries throughout the NWT: what is known about them, where they are harvested, how they’re used, how they may be changing, peoples’ connections to berries, and the barriers, opportunities or threats that exist to berries and berry harvesting. This study is territory-wide and multi-year (2023-2025) in scope.
Work was guided by an advisory committee of Knowledge Holders from all five regions of the NWT, along with researchers and support staff. The advisory committee included Alestine Andre, Annie Buckle, Lila Fraser Erasmus, Elaine Lamalice, Margaret Leishman, Beatrice Lepine, Margaret McDonald, Celine Proctor, and Anna Thrasher. The working group included academics and support staff affiliated with Saint Mary’s University (Halifax, NS), the University of Victoria (Victoria, BC), and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Methods were designed collaboratively among all team members and included interviews with knowledge holders, participatory mapping, and group validation sessions. A total of 118 interviews were ultimately completed in the communities of Yellowknife, Behchokǫ̀, Whatì, Gamètì, Wekweètì, Aklavik, Inuvik, Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtchic, Fort Smith, Kakisa, Hay River, Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, and Ulukhaktok.
As part of this project, we produced a number of deliverables including:
Guide to the Berries of the Northwest Territories - This guide includes information on berries in the NWT, including species descriptions, range maps, traditional and medicinal uses of berries, respectful harvesting practices, regional names for the berries, as well as quotes from Indigenous Knowledge Holders interviewed throughout the project. A hard copy of the guide is available from the Government of the Northwest Territories Government, or a virtual copy can be downloaded here: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/sites/ecc/files/resources/smu_berryfieldguide_v09_web_pages.pdf
The guide is published under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license enabling reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. Knowledge holders shared with us for all to learn, please respect their knowledge.
Berry Harvesting Calendar Posters - These calendars include information on berry harvesting, specifically when berries are ripe and available for harvesting, and which species can be harvested throughout the winter under the snow. The ‘Northern’ calendar reflects Traditional Knowledge from Inuvialuit and Gwich’in interviews, and can be downloaded here. The ‘Southern’ calendar reflects Traditional Knowledge from the Tłı̨chǫ Region, South Slave Region, and North Slave Métis Alliance and can be downloaded here.
Final Report - Our final report can be downloaded here.
If you have questions about this project, please contact: nwtberries@outlook.com