| GF researcher Alestine Andre, Gwich'in Masters student, together with Pakki Chipps of Becher Bay (Coast Salish), and Gwich'in elder Ruth Welsh, who is on Alestine's masters committee and is one of her major consultants in her Masters research. They are all at Becher Bay Reserve No. 2, where they went for a day of pit-cooking and to gain a better understanding of the history and environmental issues of the Becher Bay community.
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| Investigators |
| Alestine Andre (MA candidate), School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria
Mrs. Ruth Welsh, Gwich'in Elder Advisor and Committee Member, Tagish, Yukon
Dr. Nancy Turner, School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria
(Photo-from left: Mrs. Ruth Welsh, Pakki Chips, Alestine Andre.)
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What is the Issue? |
| PRESERVATION OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL KNOWLEDGE |
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The Gwich'in people are one of the most northerly indigenous people living in North America. The Gwich'in people traditionally lived in a close relationship with the land and relied on seasonal resources for food, clothing, shelter and medicine. They had an intimate knowledge of the ecosystem and through generations of experience and teaching were able to use the resources in a sustainable way. Recently, there has been tremendous change to the Gwich'in way of life, and cultural knowledge is being lost in transition. There is much to learn from the traditional knowledge of Arctic plants that may be of great benefit, not only to the Gwich'in people in restoring their culture, but to the scientific community in the form of new nutritional and medicinal sources.
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What is our goal? |
| EXPLORE BOTANICAL MEDICINAL POTENTIAL OF OUR FORESTS THROUGH FIRST NATIONS KNOWLEDGE.
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Where we currently stand. |
| This research study was initiated in March 2001, and will continue in Victoria, Tagish, Yukon and the Northwest Territories into 2003. Collaboration and interviews with Gwich'in elders will provide a historical background for the field research. Two seasons of fieldwork will be done in conjunction with Gwich'in elders to document and record plant species, their location, preparation and use. This study will result in a thesis, as will as a published article and a medical textbook chapter on folk medicine.
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You can help this project - find out how. |
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