Cultural uses of non-timber forest products among the Sts'ailes, British Columbia, Canada

In-Ae Kim, Ronald L. Trosper and Gordon Mohs

Forest Policy and Economics, 2012, vol. 22, issue C, 40-46

Abstract: We have identified cultural uses of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the Sts'ailes, a group within the central Coast Salish First Nation in British Columbia, Canada. The non-timber forest products are culturally important and often accessible to local people. We undertook a community-based participatory case study of the cultural uses of non-timber forest products within the Sts'ailes traditional territory. We used semi-structured interviews, ethnography, and secondary documents (e.g. maps and supporting documents) to provide in-depth understanding of the NTFP uses. Sts'ailes people use NTFPs by (1) gathering plants for food and medicine, (2) making materials from the plants, (3) making spiritual regalia and paints for winter ceremonials, and (4) brushing with cedar branches as spiritual practices. Forest environments and NTFPs provide secured environment for spiritual bathing and other spiritual practices and cedar branches are essential to use for purification. Because of these uses, Canadian governments need to consult and accommodate the Sts'ailes people when undertaking forestry operations. In addition, Sts'ailes use of the land demonstrates their continued possession of it.

Keywords: Traditional use; Non-timber forest products; Forest culture; Indigenous people; First nations; Sts'ailes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389934112000068
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:forpol:v:22:y:2012:i:c:p:40-46

DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2012.01.004

Access Statistics for this article

Forest Policy and Economics is currently edited by M. Krott

More articles in Forest Policy and Economics from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().