Plants and Their Uses

The following list contains plants and traditional knowledge, along with widely and publicly available information about them. The following material is not for use as an identification guide for harvesting, processing, or using plants for food or medicine, as there are many edible plants that look similar to poisonous ones. 

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Consumption of wild foods and self-medication with herbal medicines should only be done under the guidance and supervision of experienced Elders and knowledge keepers. We have purposely not included instructions about how to prepare the plants for use as medicine, as plants and plant derivatives should not be consumed or used unless absolutely identified, properly prepared, and the user is aware of how they will react.

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References:

Coqualeetza Education Training Centre, Upper Stó:lō Ethnobotany, 1982.

 

Galloway, Brent, Tó:lméls ye siyelyólexwa (Wisdom of the Elders). Coqualeetza Education Training Centre, 1980.

 

Gray, Beverley, The Boreal Herbal: Wild Food and Medicine Plants of the North. Aroma Borealis Press, 2011.

 

Keane, Kahlee, The Standing People Wild Medicinal Plants of British Columbia. National Library of Canada, 2015.

 

Kloos, Scott,  Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants. Timber Press, Inc., 2017.

 

MacKinnon, A. et al., Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada (New Ed). Lone Pine Publishing, 2014.

 

Pojar, Jim and Andy MacKinnon, Plants of Coastal British Columbia (Revised Ed). Lone Pine Publishing., 2014.

 

Ritchie, Wendy. “Traditional and Common Herbs with Remedies for Wellness.” First Nations Health Authority.

 

Turner, Nancy J., Food Plants of the Coastal First Peoples. (Royal BC Museum Handbook) Canada, UBC Press for the Royal BC Museum, 1995.

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Turner, Nancy J., Plant Technology of First Peoples in British Columbia (Royal BC Museum Handbook). Canada, Royal BC Museum, 2007. 

 

Varner, Collin., Edible and Medicinal Flora of the West Coast, British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. Toronto, Heritage House Publishing Co., Ltd., 2020.

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Photographs © M. Teresa Carlson and Dr. Alan R. Reid