Ethnobotany Of The Thompson Indians Of British Columbia

At least 350 species of native plants were recognized and named by the Thompson Indian people, based on ethnographic records and interviews with contemporary Thompson speakers. Most of these plants were used in traditional Thompson life as foods, medicine or materials. In addition, nearly 40 species of introduced plants and plant products have been named recently in Thompson. Plants were a significant traditional food source; edible fruits and roots, mushrooms, greens and other plant products were preserved in quantity for year-round utilization, and were widely traded both within and outside the Thompson area. Woods, barks, roots and fibres were vital in Thompson technology, providing materials for shelter, utensils, and clothing, and other essential features of Thompson life. Medicinal plants comprised the bulk of species used by the Thompson. Plant medicines varied greatly in their preparation and application. Few have been tested pharmacologically. Thompson territory lies within several different ecological zones; hence vegetation varied considerably within it, and this factor encouraged active distribution of resources through trade. During times of famine, certain plant foods, such as cactus, were particularly significant in preventing widespread starvation. Only a few native plant species are actively used by Thompson people today. Wild plant foods are largely restricted to several types of berries, a few mushroom species, and one or two species each of greens and 2roots.3 With few exceptions, only members of the oldest generation are still using traditional medicines.

This booklet is arranged accordingly to the uses made of them by the Thompson Indians. The plants were used for many things which includes: medicine, foods, dyes, ceremonies, scents etc.

Use of plants by the native peoples of coastal and interior British Columbia for technological applications, eg. for shelter clothing, nets, ropes etc. Individual plant species are listed, with their botanical descriptions, habitats, distribution in the province, and the ways in which they were employed in native technology.

During the 1920s Harlan I. Smith, an archaeologist with the National Museums of Canada, documented plant and animal knowledge and use among the Gitksan, Nuxalk and Ulkatcho Carrier of British Columbia. Smith’s work is the earliest, relatively comprehensive ethnobotanical study for any Tsimshianic group. This edited version of his manuscript contains information on 112 botanical species and on their traditional cultural roles among the Gitksan

This is a collection of tales of the Thompson Indians along with traditional and cultural facts. There is an introduction by Franz Boas.